Catalytic gas-phase oxidation of acrolein to acrylic acid

Abstract

A process for the catalytic gas-phase oxidation of acrolein to acrylic acid in a multiple contact tube fixed-bed reactor through whose space surrounding the contact tubes only one heat-exchange medium circuit is passed, at elevated temperature on catalytically active multimetal oxides with an acrolein conversion for a single pass of .gtoreq.95 mol % and an acrylic acid formation selectivity of .gtoreq.90 mol %, which comprises firstly passing the heat-exchange medium through the multiple contact tube fixed-bed reactor longitudinally, considered over the reaction container as a whole, to the contact tubes in cocurrent to the reaction-gas mixture and secondly superposing a transverse flow within the reaction container by means of an arrangement of successive baffles along the contact tubes which leaves passage cross sections free, so as to give a meandrous flow of the heat-exchange medium, seen in longitudinal section through the contact tube bundle, and setting the flow rate of the circulated heat-exchange medium so that its temperature rises by from 2.degree. to 10.degree. C. between the point of entry into the reactor and the point of exit out of the reactor.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.