Device using microwaves to carry out chemical reactions on a large quantity of product

Device, for carrying out a chemical or physicochemical reaction on a product, comprising

• a) a microwave generator (10) for generating single-mode microwaves having a wavelength,
• b) a reactor (30) having a containment volume sufficient to contain the product, said reactor made of microwave-transparent material,
• c) a microwave application cavity (20) containing said reactor and
• d) a cover (40) having an outer edge,
• characterized in that,
• said application cavity is bounded by (i) a closed side wall (21) approximating a cylinder of revolution about an axis X and (ii) a bottom wall (22),
• said application cavity is open at the top by an upper opening which provides for fitting and removing the reactor,
• said bottom wall has an entry port (23) for said single-mode microwaves to enter the application cavity and propagate along said axis X,
• said application cavity has dimensions which allow for predetermining the resonant frequency of the single-mode microwaves in all planes transverse to the axis X in the application cavity,
• said cover closes the upper opening of the application cavity in a sealed manner, preventing propagation of the single-mode microwaves outside the application cavity,
• said cover includes at least one conduit (41) connecting the inside of the application cavity to the outside so that the application cavity can be subjected to atmospheric pressure, and
• the reactor is positioned in a well (50) placed in the application cavity (20), said well (50) having a bottom whose central part (51) extends inside the connection part (11b) of the waveguide (11).

Device, for carrying out a chemical or physicochemical reaction on a product, comprising

• a) a microwave generator (10) for generating a single-mode microwaves having a wavelength,
• b) a reactor (30) having a containment volume, made of microwave-transparent material, for containing the product,
• c) a microwave application cavity (20) containing said reactor and
• d) a cover (40) having an outer edge,
• characterized in that,
• said application cavity is bounded by (i) a closed side wall (21) approximating a cylinder of revolution about an axis X and (ii) a bottom wall (22),
• said application cavity is open at the top by an upper opening which provides for fitting and removing the reactor,
• said bottom wall has an entry port (23) for said single-mode microwaves to enter the application cavity and propagate along said axis X,
• said application cavity has dimensions which allow for predetermining the resonant frequency of the single-mode microwaves in all planes transverse to the axis X in the application cavity,
• said cover closes the upper opening of the application cavity in a sealed manner, preventing propagation of the single-mode microwaves outside the application cavity,
• said cover includes at least one conduit (41) connecting the inside of the application cavity to the outside so that the application cavity can be subjected to atmospheric pressure,
• for the purpose of operating continuously, the reactor (30) has a bottom including an opening (34) which runs into inlet pipe (35), said inlet pipe inserted into an orifice (24) provided in the bottom wall (22) of the application cavity (20) and emerging outside of said application cavity for connecting to a pump for supplying a product and/or reactant to the reactor,
• said orifice in the bottom wall of the application cavity is bordered externally by a duct (25) forming a barrier to propagation of microwaves outside of the application cavity, and
• the at least one conduit in the cover carries outlet pipe (36) connected to the reactor top, for providing connection between the reactor and a pump for removing treated product from the reactor, and
• for the purpose of carrying out a chemical reaction on a gas continuously, a support shaft (1) is provided which extends along the axis X and has an end immersed in the reactor, said end carrying a sintered support (1b) which extends transversely to the axis X and separates the reactor into an upper reaction chamber and a lower chamber, said lower chamber provided for supplying gaseous products to the upper chamber and communicating via the orifice in the bottom of the reactor with the inlet pipe, said upper reaction chamber provided for reacting a reactant or catalyst (100) in the form of gas, and said upper reaction chamber communicating with the outlet pipe by which treated gases are removed.