Process for high shear gas-liquid reactions

• US 6,994,330 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2004
• Issued: 02/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The 323 Trust
• Original Assignee: Kriedo Laboratories
• Inventors: Holl, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): BUSHEY, CHARLES S
• Application Number:
  US10/857,305
• Publication Number:
  US 20040222536A1
• Time in Patent Office: 620 Days
• Field of Search: 261/83, 261/92, 366/279, 250/438
• US Class Current: 261/92
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/116 Stirrers shaped as cylinders, balls or rollers
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/272 with means for moving the materials to be mixed axially between the surfaces of the rotor and the stator, e.g. the stator rotor system formed by conical or cylindrical surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/74 with rotary cylinders
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/05 Mixers using radiation, e.g. magnetic fields or microwaves to mix the material B01F23/2133, B01F23/238, B01F23/55, B01F33/3031, B01F33/3032 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/83613 by grinding or milling
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/8362 with chemical reactions
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/4122 at the side walls of the receptacle
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/512 characterised by surface properties, e.g. coated or rough
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/54 Closely surrounding the rotating element
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/90 Heating or cooling systems
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/082 Gamma-radiation only
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/10 employing sonic or ultrasonic vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/122 Incoherent waves gamma-radiation B01J19/082
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/125 X-rays
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/126 Microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/127 Sunlight; Visible light
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/18 Stationary reactors having moving elements inside B01J19/08, B01J19/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/1887 forming a thin film
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2208/00 Processes carried out in the presence of solid particles; Reactors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00094 Jackets
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00141 : Microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00146 : Infrared radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00164 : controlling the flow
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00166 : controlling the residence time inside the reactor vessel
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00168 : controlling the viscosity
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0888 : Liquid-liquid
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/1227 : Reactors comprising tubes with open ends
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/182 : horizontal
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/1943 : cylindrical
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2998/00 : Supplementary information concerning processes or compositions relating to powder metallurgy
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 7/401 : having a casing closely surrounding the rotor, e.g. with a plunger for feeding the material B29B7/407, B29B7/42 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 7/90 : Fillers or reinforcements , e.g. fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/03 : characterised by the shape of the extruded material at extrusion
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/38 : using two or more serially arranged screws in the same barrel
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2021/00 : Use of unspecified rubbers as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/16 : Fillers
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2503/04 : Inorganic materials
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/30 : by irradiation
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/302 : with microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/32 : with ultraviolet light
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/36 : ultrasonic vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/01 : characterized by their specific function
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 32/0094 : with organic materials as the main non-metallic constituent, e.g. resin
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 11/02 : the movement being rotary, e.g. performed by a drum or roller F28D11/08 takes precedence

Abstract

A reactor produces a gas-in-liquid emulsion for providing increased interfacial contact area between the liquid and the gas for improved reaction of the gas with the liquid, or more rapid solution or reaction of a difficulty to dissolve or immiscible gas in or with a liquid. The reactor is suitable for a continuous or batch type process. Rotor and stator cylindrical members are mounted for relative rotation one to the other and have opposing surfaces spaced to form an annular processing passage. The gap distance between the opposing surfaces and the relative rotation rate of the cylindrical members are such as to cause formation of a gas-in-liquid emulsion of the gas in the liquid, as the liquid and gas pass through the processing passage.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing a large interfacial contact area between one or more liquids and one or more gases, comprising:

two cylindrical members, at least one of which is mounted for rotation relative to the other, said cylindrical members having opposing surfaces spaced to form an annular processing chamber therebetween providing a flow path for the liquid and gas;

the annular, processing chamber having a gap distance defined by a distance between the opposing surfaces;

the cylindrical members in a state of relative rotation at a relative rotation rate;

the gap distance and relative rotation rate are such as to form a gas-in-liquid emulsion of the one or more gases in the one or more liquids;

one of the two cylindrical members having a first central axis, and the second of the two cylindrical members having a second central axis, the second central axis located a distance away from the first central axis;

the one or more liquid and the one or more gases, and any mixture and reaction product thereof form respective laminar boundary layers, and the gap distance being equal to or less than the back-to-back radial thicknesses of the laminar boundary layers;

the two cylindrical members have opposing surfaces having smoothnesses such that formation of Taylor vortices in the processing chamber is inhibited and the one or more liquids and one or more gases forming the gas-in-liquid emulsion react in the processing chamber.

2. A method for producing a large interfacial contact area between a liquid and a gas, comprising:

passing a liquid and gas to be processed in a flow path through an annular processing chamber between two cylindrical members at least one of which is mounted for rotation relative to the other, one of the two cylindrical members having a first central axis, a second of the two cylindrical members having a second central axis of rotation, the second central axis spaced apart from the first central axis;

rotating at least one of the cylindrical members relative to the other fast enough and setting the distance between the facing surfaces of the two cylindrical members small enough so as to form a gas-in-liquid emulsion of the gas in the liquid;

the liquid and the gas, and any mixture and reaction product thereof form respective laminar boundary layers, and the gap distance being equal to or less than the back-to-back radial thicknesses of the laminar boundary layers;

the two cylindrical members have opposing surfaces having smoothnesses such that formation of Taylor vortices in the processing chamber is inhibited and if liquid and gas forming the gas-in-liquid emulsion react in the processing chamber.