Reactors and methods for processes involving partial oxidation reactions

• US 10,543,470 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2018
• Issued: 01/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Auburn University, IntraMicron, Inc.
• Original Assignee: IntraMicron, Inc.
• Inventors: Tatarchuk, Bruce, Scarborough, David, Dimick, Paul, Yang, Hongyun
• Primary Examiner(s): Nugyen, Huy Tram
• Application Number:
  US15/967,078
• Publication Number:
  US 20180311631A1
• Time in Patent Office: 638 Days
• Field of Search: 422129
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/002 Avoiding undesirable reactions or side-effects, e.g. avoiding explosions, or improving the yield by suppressing side-reactions
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2208/00017 Controlling the temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2208/00327 by direct heat exchange
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0018 controlling the conductivity
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00263 Preventing explosion of the chemical mixture
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00265 Preventing flame propagation
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 4/001 Feed or outlet devices as such, e.g. feeding tubes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/008 Details of the reactor or of the particulate material; Processes to increase or to retard the rate of reaction B01J8/0285, B01J8/067, B01J8/087, B01J8/1836 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/0242 the fluid flow within the bed being predominantly vertical
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/0278 Feeding reactive fluids for solid material B01J8/0015
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/0285 Heating or cooling the reactor for tubular reactors in furnaces B01J8/062
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/0446 the flow within the beds being predominantly vertical
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/0453 the beds being superimposed one above the other
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/0469 the beds being superimposed one above the other
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/0492 Feeding reactive fluids for solid material, see B01J8/0015
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/0496 Heating or cooling the reactor
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/34 with stationary packing material in the fluidised bed, e.g. bricks, wire rings, baffles
• CPC Class Codes: C07B 41/04 of ether, acetal or ketal groups
• CPC Class Codes: C07B 41/06 of carbonyl groups
• CPC Class Codes: C07B 43/08 of cyano groups
• CPC Class Codes: C07D 301/08 : in the gaseous phase

Abstract

Described herein are improved chemical reactors for carrying out partial oxidation reactions. The chemical reactor permits the use of levels of oxygen above the lower explosion limit (LEL) typically used in partial oxidation reactions, which increases both volumetric reactivity and conversion per pass, resulting in reduced separation and reactant recycle costs. Also described are methods of using the reactors.

Claims

1. A reactor suitable for conducting a partial oxidative reaction, wherein the reactor comprises a vessel comprising a process channel and two or more composite catalyst structures in the form of a stack,

wherein each composite catalyst structure comprises a catalyst layer, wherein the catalyst layer comprises a porous substrate and a catalyst,

wherein the porous substrate comprises sintered microfibrous media comprising a metal or metal alloy, non-sintered metal mesh, sintered metal mesh, metal honeycomb, metal monolith, ceramics, or a combination thereof,

wherein at least a portion of at least one of the two or more composite catalyst structures comprises a layer comprising a porous heat transfer structure configured to quench free radicals and prevent explosions or propagation of a fire during the partial oxidative reaction, and

wherein the porous heat transfer structure comprises a heat spreader layer that does not contain the catalyst.

2. The reactor of claim 1, further comprising a flow distribution layer on top of at least one of the two or more composite catalyst structures, wherein the vessel further comprises an inlet, and wherein the inlet is located above the flow distribution layer.

3. The reactor of claim 1, wherein at least one of the two or more composite catalyst structures further comprises a barrier layer configured to prevent the catalyst from migrating out of the catalyst layer.

4. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the heat spreader layer has a thermal conductivity of at at least 10 W/m-K.

5. The reactor of claim 4, wherein the heat spreader layer contains two layers, where the first layer is a flame blocking layer that contains a higher metal fraction than the metal fraction of the second layer, wherein the second layer is a quenching layer.

6. The reactor of claim 5, wherein the flame blocking layer and the quenching layer contain the same metal or metal alloy, and wherein the flame blocking layer and the quenching layer are sintered to each other.

7. The reactor of claim 4, wherein the heat spreader layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of a metal screen, metal mesh, metal foam, perforated plate, and microfibrous media.

8. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the porous substrate in the catalyst layer is sintered microfibrous media comprising a metal or metal alloy.

9. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the amount of catalyst in the catalyst layer ranges from about 1 to about 25 vol %.

10. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the catalyst is in the form of catalyst particles and the catalyst particles are dispersed in the substrate.

11. The reactor of claim 10, wherein at least one of the two or more composite catalyst structures further comprises a barrier layer, wherein the barrier layer is located beneath the catalyst layer, and wherein the barrier layer has a pore size that is smaller than the size of catalyst particles.

12. The reactor of claim 11, wherein the barrier layer comprises a mesh structure, metal microfibrous media, or ceramic microfibrous media.

13. The reactor of claim 11, wherein each of the barrier layer and the heat spreader layer is formed from a metal or metal alloy, and wherein the heat spreader layer and barrier layer are sintered to each other.

14. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the two or more composite catalyst structures are the same or different.

15. The reactor of claim 14, wherein the vessel further comprises a mechanical supportive structure, and wherein each of the composite catalyst structures is on or surrounds the mechanical supportive structure.

16. The reactor of claim 15, wherein the vessel further comprises a reactant fluid inlet and a product fluid outlet.

17. The reactor of claim 16, further comprising an oxygen inlet.

19. A method for conducting a partial oxidative reaction, comprising flowing a reactant fluid through the reactor of claim 1.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the reactant fluid comprises organic compounds and oxygen.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the reactor operates at a temperature ranging from 200°

C. to 950°

C.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the amount of oxygen that can safely be fed to the reactor without causing a fire or explosion is greater than the lower explosion limit (LEL) for the partial oxidative reaction.

23. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the catalyst layer conducts heat.

24. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the substrate is a sintered metal.

25. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the two or more composite catalyst structures in the stack are oriented perpendicularly to a direction of flow of a reactant fluid in the process channel, when the reactant fluid flows axially along the process channel.

18. A reactor suitable for conducting a partial oxidative reaction, wherein the reactor comprises a vessel comprising two or more composite catalyst structures in the form of a stack, wherein at least one of the two or more composite catalyst structures comprises:

(i) a catalyst layer comprising

(a) a catalyst, and

(b) sintered microfibrous media, non-sintered metal mesh, sintered metal mesh,

metal honeycomb, porous metal monolith, ceramics, or a combination thereof, and

(ii) a barrier layer comprising a material with pores or interstitial spaces of a sufficient size to prevent the catalyst from migrating out of the catalyst layer, or

(iii) a heat spreader layer configured to dissipate heat, or

(iv) both (ii) and (iii),

wherein the barrier layer, the heat spreader layer, or both, comprise a metal or metal alloy, and

wherein the catalyst is not present in the heat spreader layer.