Scale-up of trickle-bed reactor was studied for butynediol synthesis. Three laboratory reactors were used: a stirred batch kettle for intrinsic kinetics

a continuous rotating basket reactor for macrokinetics of catalyst pellets

and a differential trickle-bed reactor with external liquid recycle for equipment development. The kinetic data obtained from the above reactors can be correlated to rate equations in power form. The experimental results obtained not only verified the relationships between external contacting effectiveness factors and liquid flow rate developed by Satterfield

but also indicated the dependence of liquid flow rate on higher and lower temperatures. The external contacting effectivess factor of butynediol synthesis in trickle-bed reactor thus determined can be used to correct the macrokinetic models of catalyst pellets determined from rotating basket. The corrected models can be checked by calculating the axial concentration and temperature profiles in an adiabatic plug-flow pilot equipment with fairly successful results.