Process for the continuous production of mixtures of substances and reaction mixtures and device for its implementation

• US 6,719,921 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2001
• Issued: 04/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Evonik Degussa GmbH (Rag-Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: Degussa AG (Rag-Stiftung)
• Inventors: Steinberger, Michael, Miklautsch, Josef
• Primary Examiner(s): SOOHOO, TONY GLEN
• Application Number:
  US09/963,660
• Publication Number:
  US 20020044494A1
• Time in Patent Office: 929 Days
• Field of Search: 562/6, 252/186.42, 137/9, 366/152.1, 366/152.2, 366/160.2, 366/336, 366/136, 366/137
• US Class Current: 252/186.42
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/49 Mixing systems, i.e. flow charts or diagrams
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/42 in which the mixing is affected by moving the components jointly in changing directions, e.g. in tubes provided with baffles or obstructions
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/2111 Flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/2211 Amount of delivered fluid during a period
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/883 using flow rate controls for feeding the substances
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 7/325 Static mixers in general B01F25/42
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 7/603 in measured doses, e.g. proportioning of several materials
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 7/72 Measuring, controlling or regulating
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 407/00 Preparation of peroxy compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 409/24 the —O—O— group being bound between a >C=O group and hydrogen, i.e. peroxy acids
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 409/26 Peracetic acid
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 11/132 by controlling the flow of the individual components G05D11/133 takes precedence

Abstract

A process for the continuous production of a mixture of substances or of a reaction mixture that has been formed by reaction of components contained therein. The component streams withdrawn from a storage container (1, 2 or 3) or a distribution network (12) are each conveyed via a controlled system (22, 23, 24, 25) which in each instance comprises a flow-measuring device (8, 9, 10, 11) and a regulating element (34, 35, 36, 37). The flow-rates of the individual components are regulated in quantitatively proportional manner with reference to the flow-rate of a first component. The resulting regulated flow-rates are introduced into a receiving container, either directly or after individual flow-rates have been completely or partially conducted together. The process and the device are especially suitable for the on-site production of mixtures of substances that cannot be transported or that can only be transported in elaborate manner, such as relatively highly concentrated solutions of peroxycarboxylic acid.

Claims

1. A process for the continuous production of an aqueous equilibrium peroxycarboxylic acid solution, comprising withdrawing individual components from storage containers or from distribution networks that form the equilibrium peroxycarboxylic acid solution including a lower carboxylic acid, aqueous hydrogen peroxide, water and a mineral acid catalyst, forming continuous streams of the individual components, conveying each component stream by a controlled system including a mass-flow or volume-flow measuring device and a regulating element for regulating the rate of flow, regulating mass flow-rates of the individual components in quantitatively proportional manner with reference to the mass flow-rate of a first component and introducing the regulated mass flow-rates of the individual components into a receiving container, immediately or after individual mass flow-rates have been completely or partially combined together to form a total stream, thereby bringing together the individual components forming the equilibrium peroxycarboxylic acid and, and measuring the flow of the total stream formed from the individual streams or measuring the total quantity of the individual or partial streams fed into the container and balancing total flows against the sum of the individual streams, and, allowing the mixture of substances to stand in a container until a desired conversion has been established.

2. The process according to claim 1, further comprising measuring flow by a device for mass-flow measurement or a metering pump.

3. The process according to claim 1, further comprising drawing the streams off from the storage containers and conveying them via the controlled system by pumps or by available preliminary pressure.

4. The process according to claim 2, further comprising drawing the streams off from the storage containers and conveying them via the controlled system by pumps or by available preliminary pressure.

5. The process according to claim 1, further comprising keeping regulating conditions constant by adjusting the preliminary pressure of the respective component stream upstream of the respective controlled system is adjusted to a constant value.

6. The process according to claim 2, further comprising keeping regulating conditions constant by adjusting the preliminary pressure of the respective component stream upstream of the respective controlled system is adjusted to a constant value.

7. The process according to claim 3, further comprising keeping regulating conditions constant by adjusting the preliminary pressure of the respective component stream upstream of the respective controlled system is adjusted to a constant value.

8. The process according to claim 4, further comprising keeping regulating conditions constant by adjusting the preliminary pressure of the respective component stream upstream of the respective controlled system is adjusted to a constant value.

9. The process according to claim 1, further comprising conducting quantitatively proportional component streams together in succession and homogenizing partial streams that are formed or total stream that is formed with of mixing elements.

10. The process according to claim 2, further comprising conducting quantitatively proportional component streams together in succession and homogenizing partial streams that are formed or total stream that is formed with of mixing elements.

11. The process according to claim 3, further comprising conducting quantitatively proportional component streams together in succession and homogenizing partial streams that are formed or total stream that is formed with of mixing elements.

12. The process according to claim 4, further comprising conducting quantitatively proportional component streams together in succession and homogenizing partial streams that are formed or total stream that is formed with of mixing elements.

13. The process according to claim 1, further comprising measuring rate of flow of the total stream that has formed or the total quantity of the individual streams or partial streams introduced into the container or of the total stream and equalizing with the sum of the individual streams.

14. The process according to claim 2, further comprising measuring rate of flow of the total stream that has formed or the total quantity of the individual streams or partial streams introduced into the container or of the total stream and equalizing with the sum of the individual streams.

15. The process according to claim 3, further comprising measuring rate of flow of the total stream that has formed or the total quantity of the individual streams or partial streams introduced into the container or of the total stream and equalizing with the sum of the individual streams.

16. The process according to claim 4, further comprising measuring rate of flow of the total stream that has formed or the total quantity of the individual streams or partial streams introduced into the container or of the total stream and equalizing with the sum of the individual streams.

17. The process according to claim 1, further comprising producing an aqueous equilibrium solution of peroxycarboxylic acid from the components comprising lower carboxylic acid, aqueous hydrogen peroxide, water and mineral-acid catalyst, whereby the component streams of carboxylic acid, water, mineral acid, or a partial stream containing carboxylic acid, water and mineral acid, and aqueous hydrogen peroxide are conveyed into the receiving container simultaneously in quantitatively proportional ratio or, in the case where the individual component streams have previously been conducted together, adding aqueous hydrogen peroxide by way of final component and bringing about the establishment of equilibrium by allowing the mixture to stand.

18. The process according to claim 2, further comprising producing an aqueous equilibrium solution of peroxycarboxylic acid from the components comprising lower carboxylic acid, aqueous hydrogen peroxide, water and mineral-acid catalyst, whereby the component streams of carboxylic acid, water, mineral acid, or a partial stream containing carboxylic acid, water and mineral acid, and aqueous hydrogen peroxide are conveyed into the receiving container simultaneously in quantitatively proportional ratio or, in the case where the individual component streams have previously been conducted together, adding aqueous hydrogen peroxide by way of final component and bringing about the establishment of equilibrium by allowing the mixture to stand.

19. The process according to claim 3, further comprising producing an aqueous equilibrium solution of peroxycarboxylic acid from the components comprising lower carboxylic acid, aqueous hydrogen peroxide, water and mineral-acid catalyst, whereby the component streams of carboxylic acid, water, mineral acid, or a partial stream containing carboxylic acid, water and mineral acid, and aqueous hydrogen peroxide are conveyed into the receiving container simultaneously in quantitatively proportional ratio or, in the case where the individual component streams have previously been conducted together, adding aqueous hydrogen peroxide by way of final component and bringing about the establishment of equilibrium by allowing the mixture to stand.

20. The process according to claim 4, further comprising producing an aqueous equilibrium solution of peroxycarboxylic acid from the components comprising lower carboxylic acid, aqueous hydrogen peroxide, water and mineral-acid catalyst, whereby the component streams of carboxylic acid, water, mineral acid, or a partial stream containing carboxylic acid, water and mineral acid, and aqueous hydrogen peroxide are conveyed into the receiving container simultaneously in quantitatively proportional ratio or, in the case where the individual component streams have previously been conducted together, adding aqueous hydrogen peroxide by way of final component and bringing about the establishment of equilibrium by allowing the mixture to stand.

21. The process according to claim 1, wherein the lower carboxylic acid is acetic acid.