Chemical reactor system and process

A method for producing a bisphenol, comprising:

• introducing a phenol and a ketone into a reactor system in a downflow mode, said reactor system comprising,
• a downflow chemical reactor, and
• a fixed bed ion exchange resin catalyst having packing randomly distributed therein charged in said reactor wherein said resin catalyst is a sulfonated aromatic resin having a degree of crosslinking no greater than about 2% by weight based on said resin catalyst;
• reacting said ketone and said phenol in said reactor to form a reaction mixture containing said bisphenol;
• and
• recovering said bisphenol from said mixture.

A reactor for producing bisphenol A from the reaction of phenol and acetone introduced therein in a downflow mode, the reactor comprising:

• a reactor vessel;
• an ion exchange resin catalyst bed in said vessel, said catalyst optionally comprising a promoter;
• and
• packing randomly distributed throughout said ion exchange resin catalyst bed.

A system for the manufacture of bisphenol A from phenol and acetone, said system comprising:

• an acetone feed stream;
• a phenol feed stream mixed with said acetone feed stream to form a feed stream mixture;
• a cooling apparatus to receive said feed stream mixture;
• a reactor connected in fluid communication with said cooling apparatus, said reactor comprising:
• a reactor vessel having an inlet at an upper end to receive said feed stream mixture, and an outlet at a lower end of said vessel;
• a supported catalyst resin bed located intermediate said inlet and said outlet, said bed comprising an ion exchange catalyst resin and an inert packing material disposed randomly throughout said resin;
• a temperature sensing means in communication with said vessel;
• a pressure sensing means in communication with said vessel;
• a bypass stream between said inlet and said outlet;
• a second phenol feed stream capable of being received at said outlet;
• a product takeoff line disposed in fluid communication with said lower end of said reactor, said product takeoff line being at the same elevation as said inlet to insure that the reactor operates in an overflow mode and to insure that the reactor remains completely liquid filled;
• and
• a siphon break located downstream of said product takeoff valve.

Bisphenol A produced by a method comprising:

• introducing phenol and acetone into a reactor in a downflow mode, said reactor comprising,
• an ion exchange resin catalyst bed said bed having a promoter and packing randomly distributed in said bed;
• reacting said phenol and said acetone to form a reaction mixture;
• and
• recovering said bisphenol from said reaction mixture.