High efficiency heat and mass transfer for vapor phase heterogeneous reactions
AssigneePraxair Technology, Inc.
InventorsJoshua Brien Sweeney, Roger William Day, Deepak Lumba
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Abstract
Heterogeneous vapor phase oxidation and other reactions are carried out at the surface of a solid catalyst, with both gaseous reactants and the solid catalyst being dispersed in a recirculating liquid solvent. Reaction and product absorption are combined into a single processing step, with enhanced catalyst performance, and product selectivity and product yields, enhanced mass and heat transfer characteristics and reduced risk of forming explosive mixtures in the course of a particular reaction.
Claims7
An improved three phase mixing process for the carrying out of heterogeneous vapor phase reactions comprising:
- (a) maintaining a body of solvent comprising water and dispersed catalyst particles in a recirculating flow pattern in a reactor vessel;
- and
- (b) introducing a first gaseous reactant and a second gaseous reactant into said recirculating flow path to form a gas bubble-liquid solid dispersion maintained in said recirculating flow pattern, whereby a desired three phase flow pattern is maintained, with large interfacial areas between the vapor and solid phases, the vapor and liquid phases, and the solid and liquid phases, said large interfacial phases combined with the turbulent flow produced by said recirculating flow pattern, providing enhanced heat removal from the solid catalyst, rapid vapor phase transport of gaseous reactants to the solid catalyst, and efficient absorption of the reaction products in the liquid phase.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.