Continuous reaction of gases with liquids

A process for continuously producing a steady supply of dilute aqueous hypochlorite bleach solution of consistent quality by reacting chlorine gas with a dilute aqueous caustic solution, comprising:

• (a) continuously feeding chlorine gas and, in at least about stoichiometric proportions for the desired reaction with said chlorine gas, a dilute aqueous solution of caustic soda to the upstream end of a superatmospheric pressurized fluid energized, in-line, cocurrent flow mixing zone to form an intimate gas-liquid reaction mixture and discharging said mixture from the downstream end of said mixing zone at a pressure which is not substantially below atmospheric;
• (b) introducing the reaction mixture discharged in (a) directly into the upstream end of a mechanically operated regenerative, fluid propulsion and repressurizing pumping zone in which at least one multivaned rotary impeller is driven adjacent to a side channel stator to effect intensive gas/liquid interaction and highly turbulent flow of said reaction mixture through said pumping zone while simultaneously raising the pressure in said mixture by at least one atmosphere and discharging said mixture therefrom at an absolute pressure which is at least two atmospheres;
• (c) introducing the mixture discharged in (b) into an enclosed product receiving and gas-liquid separation zone maintained at an absolute pressure of at least about two atmospheres and with a sizeable gas head space reserved in a upper portion thereof;
• (d) collecting the resulting liquid bleach solution as product in the lower part of said separation zone and unreacted chlorine gas in said head space;
• and
• (e) recycling some of at least one of the unreacted chlorine gas and liquid bleach solution collected in said separation zone in step (d) back to the upstream end of said cocurrent flow mixing zone of step (a).

A continuous process for effecting chemical reaction between gaseous and liquid reactants comprising:

• (a) continuously feeding said reactants into the upstream end of a fluid pressure energized, in-line, cocurrent flow mixing zone with at least one of said reactants being supplied at a pressure substantially above atmospheric pressure, thereby forming an intimate gas-liquid reaction mixture;
• (b) discharging said gas-liquid reaction mixture from the downstream end of said mixing zone at a pressure which is lower than the pressure at which at least one of said reactants is supplied in (a) but not substantially below atmospheric pressure;
• (c) transferring the reaction mixture discharged in (b) directly to the upstream end of a mechanically operated, regenerative, fluid propulsion and repressurizing pumping zone in which at least one multivaned rotary impeller is driven at high speed adjacent to a side channel stator to effect intensive gas/liquid interaction and highly turbulent flow of said reaction mixture through said pumping zone while simultaneously raising the pressure in said mixture by at least one atmosphere and discharging said mixture therefrom at an absolute pressure which is at least about two atmospheres;
• (d) passing the thus pressurized mixture discharged in (c) into a superatmospheric, pressure tight, product receiving and gas/liquid separation zone maintained at a controlled pressure of at least about 1 atmosphere above atmospheric and equipped with liquid level control means adapted to reserve a sizeable gas head space therein while also maintaining a large liquid holding space in the lower region thereof;
• (e) collecting the desired liquid product in a lower region of said gas-liquid separation zone while unreacted gases accumulate in said gas head space;
• and
• (f) recycling some of either or both of the gas collecting in said head space and the liquid accumulating in said lower region of said separation zone of (d) back to the upstream end of said cocurrent flow mixing zone of (a).

A continuous process for effecting a desired reaction between cocurrently flowing gas and liquid reactants to produce a desired liquid product which is substantially free of solid matter, comprising:

• (a) continuously feeding said reactants in proportions providing a volumetric liquid to gas ratio of less than about one to the upstream end of a fluid pressure energized, in-line, cocurrent flow mixing zone, at least one of said reactants being introduced at superatmospheric pressure;
• (b) discharging the resultant gas-liquid reaction mixture formed in (a) from the downstream end of said mixing zone at a pressure which is lower than the pressure at which at least one of the fluid reactants is supplied in (a) but not substantially below atmospheric pressure;
• (c) transferring said reaction mixture discharged in (b) directly to the upstream end of a mechanically operated, regenerative, multistage fluid propulsion and repressurizing pumping zone in which at least one multivaned rotary impeller is driven at high speed adjacent to a side channel stator to effect intensive gas-liquid interaction and highly turbulent flow of said reaction mixture through said pumping zone while simultaneously raising the pressure in said mixture by at least one atmosphere and discharging said mixture therefrom at an absolute pressure which is at least about two atmospheres;
• (d) passing the mixture discharged in (c) into an enclosed product receiving and gas-liquid separation zone maintained at an absolute pressure of at least about two atmospheres and with a sizeable gas head space reserved in an upper portion thereof;
• (e) collecting the desired liquid product in a lower region of said gas-liquid separation zone while unreacted gases accumulate in said gas head space;
• and
• (f) recycling some of at least one of said liquid product and said unreacted gases from (e) back to the upstream end of said cocurrent flow mixing zone of (a).