Page 96 - Principles of Catalyst Development
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DESIGN  OF  CATALYSTS


             How to  Invent  Them








            5.1.  METHODOLOGY


            Designing catalysts to  satisfy process needs is  like  writing prescriptions to
            cure illnesses.  We  hope that the  procedure is  accurate and successful  and
            try  to  base  it  on  scientific  method.  Yet  in  practice,  it  is  the  skill  of the
            practitioner, whose background, knowledge, experience, and awareness of
            "what has  worked  in  the  past"  usually  prevails.  Nevertheless,  in  catalysis
            as  well  as  medicine,  we  continually strive to  improve the  precision  of the
            design  process beyond  mere copying of recipes.
                All successful catalyst inventors have combined unique experience with
            existing knowledge, some very methodically, others with flashes of intuition
            and genius. It was only in the  1960s, however, that Dowden first  attempted
            to systematize catalyst design so that scientifically trained yet inexperienced
            chemists and engineers  could  attempt this seemingly magical  exercise. (149)
            Dowden's  work  has  been  extended  by  Trimm  in  a  book  devoted  to  the
            subject.  (85) Trimm gives many examples, which are recommended as supple-
            mentary  material  to  the discussion in  this  chapter.
                The objective is  to guide the knowledgeable novice through systematic
            procedures  that  lead  to  creative  discoveries;  a  path  seemingly  easily
            traversed by the expert. Such an expert may appear intuitive, yet he himself
            passes through similar stages. With practice, the beginner will begin to inject
            his  own  style,  to  innovate,  to  optimize.  Each  case  produces variations  on
            the central  theme, but yet  the  methodology is  the same.
                The procedure is attractive as a teaching vehicle. It has proven success-
            ful  in  many  practical  applications.  As  a  training device, students progress
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