Polyester process using a pipe reactor
AssigneeEastman Chemical Company
InventorBruce Roger Debruin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention is directed to polyester processes that utilizes a pipe reactor in the esterification, polycondensation, or both esterification and polycondensation processes. Pipe reactor processes of the present invention have a multitude of advantages over prior art processes including improved heat transfer, volume control, agitation and disengagement functions. The pipe reactor processes and apparatus of the present invention are built and operated at a much lower cost than conventional polyester processes.
Claims67
A process for making an ester from a plurality of reactants comprising:
- (a) providiiig an esterification pipe reactor having a first inlet and a first outlet;
- (b) adding the reactants under esterification reaction conditions into the esterification pipe reactor proximal to the first inlet and forming a two phase flow so the reactants form a liquid phase and vapor phase through the esterification pipe reactor, wherein the estenfication pipe reactor is operated in at least one flow regime selected from the group consisting of bubble flow, plug flow, stratified flow, wavy flow, slug flow, dispersed flow and froth flow and wherein at least a portion of the reactants form an ester monomer.
A process for making a polyester from a plurality of reactants comprising:
- (a) providing an esterification pipe reactor having a first inlet and a first outlet;
- (b) adding the reactants under esterification reaction conditions into the esterification pipe reactor proximal to the first inlet and forming a two phase flow so the reactants form a liquid phase and vapor phase flow through the esterification pipe reactor, wherein the esterification pipe reactor is operated in at least one flow regime selected from the group consisting of bubble flow, plug flow, stratified flow, wavy flow, slug flow, dispersed flow and froth flow and wherein at least a portion of the reactants form an ester monomer;
- (c) reacting the monomer under polycondensation reaction conditions in a polycondensation pipe reactor wherein at least a portion of the ester monomer forms an oligomer;
- and
- (d) reacting the oligomer under polycondensation reaction conditions in the polycondensation pipe reactor wherein at least a portion of the oligomer forms a polyester.
An apparatus for preparing at least one ester monomer, ester oligomer or polyester comprising a pipe reactor having an inlet, an outlet and an interior through which reactants of at least one ester monomer, ester oligomer or polyester are passed wherein said reactants are reacted in at least one flow regime selected from the group consisting of bubble flow, plug flow, stratified flow, wavy flow, slug flow, dispersed flow and froth flow.
The apparatus of 46 wherein the flow inverter is proximate to and downstream of the weir.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.