Improvements relating to catalyst carriers for tubular reactors and associated methods

A method of operating a tubular reactor, the tubular reactor comprising a plurality of reactor tubes configured to receive catalyst carriers configured to hold catalyst, the method comprising, for at least some of the reactor tubes, the steps of:

• a) connecting together two or more catalyst carriers to form a linked set;
• b) installing into the reactor tube the linked set and an additional plurality of catalyst carriers that are unconnected to the linked set so that the linked set and the additional plurality of catalyst carriers extend at least part way between an inlet end of the reactor tube and an outlet end of the reactor tube, with the linked set being proximate the inlet end;
• c) operating the tubular reactor to pass one or more reactants through the reactor tube from the inlet end to the outlet end;
• and
• d) subsequently, withdrawing the linked set from the inlet end of the reactor tube while retaining the additional plurality of catalyst carriers within the reactor tube.