High shear process for cyclohexane production
AssigneeH R D Corporation
InventorsAbbas Hassan, Ebrahim Bagherzadeh, Rayford G. Anthony, Gregory Borsinger, Aziz Hassan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A high shear mechanical device incorporated into a process and system for the production of cyclohexane is capable of decreasing mass transfer limitations, thereby enhancing the cyclohexane production process. A system for the production of cyclohexane from benzene and hydrogen, the system comprising a reactor, solid catalyst, and a high shear device, the outlet of which is fluidly connected to the inlet of the reactor; the high shear device capable of providing an emulsion of hydrogen gas bubbles within a liquid comprising benzene, the bubbles having an average bubble diameter of less than about 100 μm.
Claims24
A method for producing cyclohexane, comprising
- obtaining a high shear device having at least one rotor/stator set configured for producing a tip speed of at least 5 m/s;
- forming an emulsion of benzene and hydrogen gas, wherein said hydrogen gas comprises bubbles in the emulsion with a mean diameter of less than about 5 μm;
- introducing said emulsion into a reactor comprising a catalyst;
- and
- reacting liquid benzene with hydrogen gas in the presence of the solid catalyst at a temperature less than about 340° C.
A system for the production of cyclohexane from benzene the system comprising;
- at least one high shear device, configured for producing a dispersion of hydrogen gas bubbles in a benzene solution, the dispersion having an average bubble diameter of less than about 100 nm;
- at least one pump, configured for pressurizing a benzene solution positioned upstream of at least one high shear device, and in fluid communication with the at least one high shear device inlet;
- and
- a reactor comprising solid catalyst from which cyclohexane produced via reaction of hydrogen with benzene is extracted;
- the reactor fluidly connected to the outlet of the external high shear mixer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.