Process design and techno-economic evaluation of glucose isomerization on Sn-Beta require reliable catalytic reaction rate expressions and kinetic constants. Here, the isomerization of sugars (glucose, fructose and mannose) in water using Sn-Beta is investigated at various temperatures ranging from 70 to 130 degrees C. It is shown that the catalyst deactivates during the course of the reaction. A phenomenological model that describes the isomerization reaction in the presence of deactivation is developed and the corresponding kinetic constants are estimated from experimental data. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.