Multiphase low mixing processes
AssigneeArcher Daniels Midland Company
InventorsCarlos Gustavo Dassori, Chi-Cheng Ma, Todd Werpy
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process is described for improving the performance of certain multiphase reaction systems including a solid catalyst, one or more reactants in the gas phase and one or more reactants in the liquid phase, wherein a targeted maximum concentration of a reactant in the liquid phase is identified for providing improved value in terms of byproduct formation, catalyst deactivation and yields of desired products, and this targeted concentration is closely approached and preferably achieved, but not substantially exceeded, downstream in a continuous process or later in time from the initiation of a batch in a semibatch mode of operation of such processes.
Claims20
A continuous process for hydrogenating a sugar in a feed of the sugar in water to a corresponding sugar alcohol and for managing the concentrations of hydrogen and of the sugar to be hydrogenated thereby along the length of a continuous reactor from its first inlet to its outlet without recycling and without introducing a diluent in any portion of the reaction mixture, comprising providing the continuous reactor containing a nickel sponge metal catalyst and having a plurality of inlets and introducing the feed and hydrogen into the reactor to react in the presence of the catalyst, with the feed being introduced at a targeted concentration of the sugar in water of not more than about 30 percent by weight at the first inlet and at one or more downstream inlet locations along the reactor in the axial direction of fluid flow.
A continuous process for hydrogenating a sugar in a feed of the sugar in water to a corresponding sugar alcohol and for managing the concentrations of hydrogen and of the sugar to be hydrogenated thereby along the length of a continuous reactor from its first inlet to its outlet without recycling and without introducing a diluent in any portion of the reaction mixture, comprising providing the continuous reactor containing a nickel sponge metal catalyst and having a plurality of inlets and introducing the feed and hydrogen into the reactor to react in the presence of the catalyst, with the feed being introduced at the first inlet at a targeted concentration of the sugar in water of not more than about 30 percent by weight, and then introducing the sugar into the reactor at a selected number and placement of downstream inlet locations in the axial direction of fluid flow in the form of an aqueous solution at a concentration or in the form of a plurality of aqueous solutions at sugar concentrations greater than the targeted concentration at the first inlet, provided that the one or more downstream introductions do not result in a concentration of the sugar within the reactor that exceeds the targeted concentration by more than thirty percent.
A process for continuously producing sorbitol, comprising:
- continuously supplying hydrogen and an aqueous dextrose feed at a concentration of not more than about 30 percent by weight to a first inlet of a reactor containing a nickel sponge metal catalyst;
- and
- continuously introducing additional supplies of the aqueous dextrose feed into the reactor at a selected number and placement of two or more downstream inlet locations from the first inlet, in each instance where at least 99.5 percent of the dextrose previously added has been reacted.
A process for continuously producing sorbitol, comprising:
- continuously supplying hydrogen and an aqueous dextrose feed at a concentration of not more than about 30 percent by weight to a first inlet of a reactor containing a nickel sponge metal catalyst;
- and
- continuously introducing additional supplies of the aqueous dextrose feed into the reactor at a selected number and placement of three or more downstream inlet locations from the first inlet, in each instance where at least 70 percent of the dextrose previously added has been reacted.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.