Horizontal continuous reactor and processes
AssigneeThe Dow Chemical Company
InventorRobert P. Shirtum
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A continuous horizontal reactor system and process for employing such a system. In one embodiment, a reactor system having a cylindrical multi-compartment vessel, the compartments intercommunicating via a common overhead space or separated spaces from which vapor with reaction product or by-products may be removed, and from which liquid effluent with reaction products or by-products may be removed and reactants and catalyst flowable into each compartment and agitators in each compartment. Such a reactor system for producing liquid epoxy resins. Processes using such a reactor to produce reaction products, e.g. liquid epoxy resins.
Claims24
A process for the continuous preparation of reaction products from the reaction of liquid reactant materials wherein said liquid reactant materials comprise either:
- epihalohydrin, an active hydrogen containing species and an alkali metal hydroxide;
- an unsaturated organic acid derivative, alkali metal hydroxide and an epihalohydrin;
- alkali metal hydroxide and 1-chloro-2-propanol or 2-chloro-1-propanol or mixture of 1-chloro-2propanol and 2-chloro-1-propanol;
- or bisphenol A and alkali metal hydroxide, the process comprising contacting the reactant materials for producing the reaction products in a first compartment of a horizontal reactor system, flowing reaction products and by-products from the first compartment of the reactor system to at least one more compartment of the reactor system and adding additional reactant materials to the at least one more compartment all compartments intercommunicating with each other, withdrawing vapor reaction products from the compartments from a common space above them, and withdrawing the liquid reaction products from at least one compartment of the reactor system.
A process for the continuous preparation of a liquid epoxy resin, the process including introducing epihalohydrin and an active hydrogen-containing species into an initial compartment of a horizontal reactor system along with an alkali metal hydroxide, stirring the materials in the initial compartment, the materials reacting to form as a reaction product a glycidyl derivative of the active hydrogen-containing species, flowing the reaction product over a weir into a next adjacent compartment of the horizontal reactor system, adding additional alkali metal hydroxide to said next adjacent compartment and stirring the materials therein, flowing reaction product from said next. adjacent compartment to one or more additional reaction compartments of the horizontal reaction system, introducing a solvent into the horizontal reactor system, removing by-product water from reactions in the compartments in a codistillate of the solvent and the by-product water from a common space above the compartments with which each compartment communicates, and withdrawing reaction products from at least one of the compartments of the horizontal reactor system.
A process for the continuous preparation of a liquid epoxy resin, the process comprising introducing a 10:1 molar ratio mixture of epichlorohydrin and bisphenol A along with a stream of a glycol monoether solvent to a first compartment of a multiple-intercommunicating-compartment horizontal continuous reactor system, each compartment communicating with a common overhead space within the system, feeding aqueous sodium hydroxide into each of the compartments of the system except to a last compartment, liquid reaction product flowing from one compartment to a next adjacent compartment and thus through all compartments, maintaining pressure in the system at about 165 mm Hg, maintaining temperature in the system at about 65.degree. C., controlling the water concentration in the system at less than 1.3 weight %, withdrawing a liquid epoxy resin product from the last compartment, total residence time of reactants in the compartments ranging between 100 and 500 minutes, the epichlorohydrin yield at least 96%, and with at least 99% bisphenol conversion.
A process for the continuous preparation of glycidyl methacrylate the process comprising introducing a 4.0 molar ratio mixture of a epichlorohydrin and 3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate ("CHPMA") to a first compartment of multiple-intercommunicating-compartment horizontal continuous reactor system, each compartment communicating with a common overhead space within the system, feeding aqueous potassium hydroxide into each of the compartments of the system except to a last compartment, liquid reaction product flowing from one compartment to a next adjacent compartment and thus through all compartments, maintaining pressure in the system at about 200 mm Hg, maintaining temperature in the system at about 65.degree. C., controlling the water concentration in the system at less than 1.3 weight percent, withdrawing glycidyl methacrylate product from the last compartment, total residence time of reactants in the compartments ranging between 4 and 12 hours, the glycidyl methacrylate yield at least 90%, and with at least 85% CHPMA conversion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.