Method and device for the sulfonation or sulfation of sulfonatable or sulfatable organic substances and for performing faster, strongly exothermic gas/liquid reactions
AssigneeThe Chemithon Corporation
InventorsRudolf Aigner, Horst Reuner
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Abstract
A method and a device for the sulfonation or the sulfation of organic liquid raw materials with an SO3/air mixture and other reaction gases in order to perform rapid, highly exothermic gas-liquid reactions in conventional thin-layer falling-film reactors are disclosed. The introduction of the SO3/air mixture occurs through several feed locations, which are located within (along) the reaction tube or reaction tubes or in the annular gap of annular-gap falling-film reactors. High peak temperatures, undesirable byproducts, worsening of the color and local oversulfation or oversulfonation, which leads to side reactions, are largely avoided.
Claims26
In a method for the sulfonation or sulfation of organic liquid raw materials with an SO3/air mixture in a thin-layer, falling-film reactor comprising a tubular reactor or an annular-gap, falling-film reactor in the form of a double cylinder, the improvement comprising,
- introducing a first fraction of the SO3/air mixture to a first feed location within a reaction tube or within the annular gap of an annular-gap, falling-film reactor and in a flow direction substantially parallel to the flow of organic liquid raw material through the falling-film reactor;
- and
- introducing a second fraction of the SO3/air mixture to a second feed location within a reaction tube or within the annular gap of an annular-gap, falling-film reactor and in a flow direction substantially parallel to the flow of organic liquid raw material through the falling-film reactor, said second location distinct from the first location and spaced from the first location downstream in the direction of the falling film of organic liquid raw material, wherein the organic liquid raw material is selected from the group consisting of alkylated aromatic hydrocarbons;
- alkylbenzenes with 8 to 22 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain, said alkylbenzenes being linear or branched, said alkylbenzenes further being saturated or unsaturated;
- alpha-olefins with 8 to 30 carbon atoms;
- fatty alcohols with 8 to 24 carbon atoms;
- alkylene oxide adducts of fatty alcohols with 8 to 24 carbon atoms;
- alkylphenols with 8 to 15 carbon atoms and their alkylene oxide derivatives;
- fatty acid methyl esters;
- and combinations of any of the foregoing.
An apparatus for the sulfonation or sulfation of organic liquid raw materials with an SO3/air mixture, comprising a thin-layer, falling-film reactor comprising
- a tubular reactor comprising at least one reaction tube or an annular-gap reactor in the form of a double cylinder, the tubular reactor or annual gap reactor each having inlet and outlet ends, the inlet end being closer to an inlet opening for introduction of organic liquid raw materials, and the inlet end being a first feed location in gaseous communication with a source of SO3/air mixture;
- and further comprising
- in the case of a tubular reactor, a second, inserted tube comprising inlet and outlet ends, the inlet end being in gaseous communication with a source of SO3/air mixture and the outlet end being inserted into the reaction tube to effect distribution of the SO3/air mixture to at least one secondary feed location within the reaction tube, or
- in the case of an annular-gap reactor, a second, inserted double tube comprising inlet and outlet ends, the inlet end being in gaseous communication with a source of SO3/air mixture and the outlet end being inserted within the annular gap to effect distribution of the SO3/air mixture to a secondary feed location within the annular gap.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.