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US 9,168,469 B2Granted
Method and system for production of a chemical commodity using a fiber conduit reactor
AssigneeChemtor, LP
InventorJohn Lee Massingill
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fiber reaction process whereby reactive components contained in immiscible streams are brought into contact to effect chemical reactions and separations. The conduit reactor utilized contains wettable fibers onto which one stream is substantially constrained and a second stream is flowed over to continuously create a new interface there between to efficiently bring about contact of the reactive species and thus promote reactions thereof or extractions thereby. Co-solvents and phase transfer catalysts may be employed to facilitate the process.
Claims69
A method for conducting chemical reactions in a first conduit reactor containing fibers, the method comprising:
- introducing a first stream containing a reactive species proximate an upstream end of a plurality of fibers positioned longitudinally within the first conduit reactor, wherein the first stream constitutes a phase substantially constrained to the exterior surface of the fibers, and wherein the end of the fibers opposite the upstream end thereof constitutes a downstream end thereof and is disposed proximate a collection vessel;
- introducing a second stream containing one or more reactive species into the first conduit reactor proximate the upstream end of the plurality of fibers in the same direction of flow as the first stream, wherein the second stream constitutes a substantially continuous phase that is in contact with and is substantially immiscible with the first stream along the exterior surface of the fibers, and wherein the first stream and/or the second stream comprises a phase transfer catalyst, at a flow rate, temperature, and pressure whereby the reactive species in the constrained phase and the one or more reactive species of the continuous phase interact to form at least one new covalent chemical commodity;
- receiving the constrained phase and the continuous phase in the collection vessel, wherein the constrained phase comprises a layer in a first portion of the collection vessel, and wherein the continuous phase comprises a layer in a second portion in the collection vessel;
- and
- withdrawing separately from the collection vessel the layer comprising the continuous phase and the layer comprising the constrained phase.
2 more elements
A method for conducting chemical reactions in a conduit reactor containing fibers, the method comprising:
- introducing a first stream containing a first reactive species and an ionic liquid proximate an upstream end of a plurality of fibers positioned longitudinally within the conduit reactor, wherein the first stream constitutes a phase substantially constrained to the surface of the fibers;
- and wherein the end of the fibers opposite the upstream end thereof constitutes a downstream end thereof and is disposed proximate a collection vessel;
- introducing a second stream containing a second reactive molecule into the conduit reactor proximate the upstream end of the plurality of fibers in the same direction of flow as the first stream, wherein the second stream constitutes a substantially continuous phase that is in contact with and is substantially immiscible with the first stream, at a flow rate, temperature, and pressure whereby the reactive molecule in the constrained phase and the reactive molecule of the continuous phase covalently react to form at least one new chemical commodity;
- receiving the constrained phase and the continuous phase in the collection vessel, wherein the constrained phase comprises a layer in a first portion of the collection vessel, and wherein the continuous phase comprises a layer in a second portion in the collection vessel;
- and
- withdrawing separately from the collection vessel the layer comprising the continuous phase and the layer comprising the constrained phase.
3 more elements
A method for conducting chemical reactions, the method comprising:
- introducing a first stream containing a reactive species proximate an upstream end of a plurality of fibers positioned longitudinally within the first conduit reactor, wherein the first stream constitutes a phase substantially constrained to the surface of the fibers, and wherein the end of the fibers opposite the upstream end thereof constitutes a downstream end thereof and is disposed proximate a collection vessel;
- introducing a second stream containing one or more reactive species into the first conduit reactor proximate the upstream end of the plurality of fibers in the same direction of flow as the first stream, wherein the second stream constitutes a substantially continuous phase that is in contact with and is substantially immiscible with the first stream at a flow rate, temperature, and pressure whereby the reactive species in the constrained phase and the one or more reactive species of the continuous phase interact to form at least one new covalent chemical commodity;
- receiving the constrained phase and the continuous phase in the collection vessel, wherein the constrained phase comprises a layer in a first portion of the collection vessel, and wherein the continuous phase comprises a layer in a second portion in the collection vessel;
- withdrawing separately from the collection vessel the layer comprising the continuous phase and the layer comprising the constrained phase;
- introducing the separately withdrawn layer comprising the continuous phase into a second conduit reactor containing fibers, wherein the separately withdrawn layer contacts a material constrained to the surface of the fibers within the second conduit reactor to effect a chemical reaction or extraction between the separately withdrawn layer and the material;
- collecting in a second collection vessel operatively associated with the second conduit reactor the separately withdrawn layer and the material;
- withdrawing the material from the second collection vessel;
- routing the withdrawn material to the first conduit reactor;
- and
- introducing the routed material into the first conduit reactor proximate the upstream end of the plurality of fibers in the first conduit reactor such that the material constitutes a phase substantially constrained to the surface of the fibers in the first conduit reactor with the first stream.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.