Dehydrogenation process

A reaction system for the production of a vinyl aromatic compound comprising:

• an elongated tubular reactor having an inlet at one side of said reactor and a spaced outlet at another side of said reactor;
• an inlet connection to said tubular reactor for supplying a mixture of reactants to the inlet side of said reactor, wherein said reactants comprise a feedstock containing a C3 alkyl aromatic compound and steam;
• a mixing section in said reactor for the mixing of said alkyl aromatic compound and steam, said mixing section adjacent the inlet side thereof and comprising at least one static baffle in an elongated helical configuration providing a spiral flow path wherein the mixing section is absent of the catalyst particles;
• a reaction section in said tubular reactor located downstream of said mixing section and having a plurality of chambers, adapted to reacting a plurality of dehydrogenation catalyst particles to provide beds of said catalyst particles in said chambers. wherein said reaction section is effective to cause the dehydrogenation of said alkyl aromatic compound to a corresponding vinyl aromatic compound in the presence of said dehydrogenation catalyst;
• and
• an outlet connected to the outlet side of said tubular reactor to provide for the recovery of a reaction product from said tubular reactor, said reaction product comprising a vinyl aromatic product.

A reaction system, comprising;

• a plurality of parallel-arranged, elongated, tubular reactors having inlet side and outlet sides;
• an inlet manifold connected to said tubular reactors for supplying a mixture of reactants to the inlet sides of said reactors, wherein said reactants comprise steam and a feedstock selected from the group of ethylnaphthalene, cumene, n-propyl benzene, diethylbeuzene, or ethyl toluene;
• a mixing section in each of said reactors adjacent the inlet side thereof for the mixing of said feedstock and steam, said mixing section comprising at least one static baffle in an elongated helical configuration comprising a spiral flow path wherein the mixing section is absent of catalyst particles;
• a reaction section in said each of said reactors located downstream of said mixing section and comprising a bed of dehydrogenation catalyst particles, wherein said reaction section is effective to cause the dehydrogenation of said feedstock to a corresponding reaction product in the presence of said dehydrogenation catalyst;
• an outlet manifold connected to the outlet sides of said tubular reactor;
• and
• a recovery system for recovering the reaction product from said tubular reactor.

A reaction system, comprising:

• an elongated tubular reactor having an inlet at one side of said reactor and a spaced outlet at another side of said reactor;
• an inlet connection to said tubular reactor for supplying a mixture of reactants to the inlet side of said reactor, wherein said reactants comprise steam and a feedstock selected from the group of ethylnaphthalene, cumene, n-propyl benzenc, diethylbenzene, or ethyl toluene;
• a mixing section in said reactor for the mixing of said feedstock and steam, said mixing section adjacent the inlet side thereof and comprising at least one static baffle in an elongated helical configuration providing a spiral flow path wherein the mixing section is absent of catalyst particles;
• a reaction section in said tubular reactor located downstream of said mixing section and having a plurality of chambers adapted to reacting a plurality of dehydrogenation catalyst particles to provide beds of said catalyst particles in said chambers, wherein said reaction section is effective to cause the dehydrogenation of said feedstock to a corresponding reaction product in the presence of said dehydrogenation catalyst;
• and
• an outlet connected to the outlet side of said tubular reactor to provide for the recovery of the reaction product from said tubular reactor.