Cyanide on demand
AssigneeHaldor TopsøE A/S
InventorsPeter Mølgaard Mortensen, Kasper Emil Larsen, Kim Aasberg-Petersen, Robert Klein
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Abstract
A reactor system and a process for carrying out the reaction of a feed gas comprising an alkane such as methane, and ammonia to hydrogen cyanide and/or a nitrile are provided, where the heat for the endothermic reaction is provided by resistance heating. In particular, the reaction is the BMA (Blausäure aus Methan und Ammoniak) reaction.
Claims10
A reactor system for carrying out the reaction of a feed gas comprising an alkane and ammonia to hydrogen cyanide and/or a nitrile in the presence of a catalyst, said reactor system comprising:
- a supply of feed gas comprising an alkane and ammonia;
- a structured catalyst arranged for catalyzing the reaction of said feed gas, said structured catalyst comprising a macroscopic structure of an electrically conductive material, said macroscopic structure supporting a ceramic coating, wherein said ceramic coating supports a catalytically active material;
- a pressure shell housing said structured catalyst, said pressure shell comprising an in-let for letting in said feed gas and an outlet for letting out product gas, wherein said inlet is positioned so that said feed gas enters said structured catalyst in a first end of said structured catalyst and said product gas exits said structured catalyst from a second end of said structured catalyst;
- a heat insulation layer between said structured catalyst and said pressure shell;
- at least two conductors electrically connected to said structured catalyst and to an electrical power supply placed outside said pressure shell, wherein said electrical power supply is dimensioned to heat at least part of said structured catalyst to a temperature of at least 500° C. by passing an electrical current through said macroscopic structure, wherein said at least two conductors are connected to the structured catalyst at a position on the structured catalyst closer to said first end of said structured catalyst than to said second end of said structured catalyst, and wherein the structured catalyst is constructed to direct an electrical current to run from one conductor substantially to the second end of the structured catalyst and return to a second of said at least two conductors;
- an outlet for a product stream comprising hydrogen cyanide and/or a nitrile.
A process for carrying out the reaction of a feed gas comprising an alkane and ammonia to hydrogen cyanide and/or a nitrile in the presence of a catalyst, in a reactor system comprising a pressure shell housing a structured catalyst arranged for catalyzing said endothermic reaction of a feed gas, said structured catalyst comprising a macroscopic structure of electrically conductive material, said macroscopic structure supporting a ceramic coating, wherein said ceramic coating supports a catalytically active material;
- wherein said reactor system is provided with heat insulation between said structured catalyst and said pressure shell;
- said process comprising the steps of:
- pressurizing said feed gas,
- supplying said pressurized feed gas to said pressure shell through an inlet positioned so that said feed gas enters said structured catalyst in a first end of said structured catalyst;
- allowing the feed gas to undergo reaction over the structured catalyst and outletting a product gas from said pressure shell, wherein said product gas exits said structured catalyst from a second end of said structured catalyst;
- supplying electrical power via electrical conductors connecting an electrical power supply placed outside said pressure shell to said structured catalyst, allowing an electrical current to run through said macroscopic structure, thereby heating at least part of the structured catalyst to a temperature of at least 500° C., wherein said at least two conductors are connected to the structured catalyst at a position on the structured catalyst closer to said first end of said structured catalyst than to said second end of said structured catalyst, and wherein the structured catalyst is constructed to direct an electrical current to run from one conductor substantially to the second end of the structured catalyst and return to a second of said at least two conductors, thereby heating at least part of the structured catalyst to a temperature sufficient for said feed gas to undergo the BMA reaction over the structured catalyst, thereby heating at least part of the structured catalyst to a temperature sufficient for said feed gas to undergo the BMA reaction over the structured catalyst,
- outletting a product gas comprising hydrogen cyanide and/or a nitrile from the reactor system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.