Method and apparatus for producing high purity phosgene

• US 9,663,373 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2014
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SABIC Global Technologies BV (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Original Assignee: SABIC Global Technologies BV (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Inventors: Gautam, Pankaj Singh, Hollar, Jr., William E.
• Primary Examiner(s): WITHERSPOON, SIKARL A
• Application Number:
  US14/907,417
• Publication Number:
  US 20160176715A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,040 Days
• Field of Search: 562847, 422187
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/006 Baffles
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/2405 provoking a turbulent flow of the reactants, such as in cyclones, or having a high Reynolds-number
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/2415 Tubular reactors
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/2425 in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/243 spirally, concentrically or zigzag wound
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2208/00194 Tubes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2208/00212 Plates; Jackets; Cylinders
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2208/00221 comprising baffles for guiding the flow of the heat exchange medium
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00094 Jackets
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00765 Baffles attached to the reactor wall
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/0285 Heating or cooling the reactor for tubular reactors in furnaces B01J8/062
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/067 Heating or cooling the reactor B01J8/062 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/80 Phosgene

Abstract

A reactor for producing phosgene, the reactor comprising: tube located in a shell and a space located between the tube and the shell; a cooling medium located in the space and a catalyst located in the tube or cooling medium located in the tube and a catalyst located in the space; a feed inlet; and a product mixture outlet; wherein the tube comprises one or more of: a mini-tube and a second tube section; a first concentric tube concentrically located in the shell; a twisted tube; an internal scaffold; and an external scaffold.

Claims

1. A method of producing phosgene, comprising:

reacting carbon monoxide and chlorine in a phosgene reactor in the presence of a catalyst to produce a final product composition comprising phosgene;

wherein carbon tetrachloride is present in the final product composition in an amount of 0 to 10 ppm by volume, based on the total volume of phosgene;

wherein the phosgene reactor comprises a tube, a shell, and a space located between the tube and the shell;

wherein a peak temperature in the phosgene reactor is less than 800°

C.; and

wherein the catalyst is disposed in the tube and a cooling medium is located in the space, or the catalyst is disposed in the space and a cooling medium is located in the tube;

wherein the tube comprises at least one of

a first concentric tube having a multi-petal cross-sectional geometry concentrically located in the shell;

a twisted tube;

an internal scaffold;

an external scaffold;

the catalyst being disposed on an inner wall of the tube; and

a mini-tube and a second tube section;

wherein when the tube comprises the mini-tube section then the reacting comprises passing a feed comprising carbon monoxide and chlorine over the catalyst in the mini-tube section to produce a first product composition, wherein the mini-tube has an average diameter of 0.1 to 10 millimeters; and

passing at least a portion of the first product composition over the catalyst disposed in the second tube section, wherein the second tube section comprises an increased diameter tube with an average diameter greater than the mini-tube, to produce the final product composition.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the peak temperature is less than 400°

C.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the phosgene reactor has a heat transfer area per unit volume of 100 to 10,000 m²/m³.

4. A reactor for producing phosgene, the reactor comprising:

a tube located in a shell and a space located between the tube and the shell;

a cooling medium located in the space and a catalyst located in the tube or cooling medium located in the tube and a catalyst located in the space;

a feed inlet; and

a product mixture outlet;

wherein the tube comprises one or more of

a mini-tube and a second tube section, wherein the mini-tube has an average diameter of 0.1 to 10 millimeters; and

wherein the second tube section comprises an increased diameter tube with an average diameter greater than the mini-tube;

a first concentric tube concentrically located in the shell;

a twisted tube;

an internal scaffold; and

an external scaffold.

5. The reactor of claim 4, wherein the average diameter of the increased diameter tube is greater than 6 millimeters.

6. The reactor of claim 4, wherein the tube comprises the first concentric tube concentrically located in the shell.

7. The reactor of claim 4, wherein the first concentric tube has a multi-petal cross-sectional geometry.

8. The reactor of claim 4, wherein the tube comprises the first concentric tube and further comprises a second concentric tube, wherein the first concentric tube and the second concentric tube are located within the shell, and a cooling medium is located between an outer wall of the second tube and an inner wall of the shell.

9. The reactor of claim 4, wherein the tube comprises the twisted tube, and wherein the twisted tube has a major diameter and a minor diameter and a ratio of the major diameter to the minor diameter is 1:

1 to 20;

1.

10. The reactor of claim 4, wherein the twisted tube has a major diameter and a minor diameter and wherein the major diameter and the minor diameter are each independently greater than or equal to 5 mm.

11. The reactor of claim 4, wherein the twisted tube has a smooth helical shape, a jagged helical shape, a wavy shape, a bulging shape, or a combination comprising one or more of the forgoing.

12. The reactor of claim 4, wherein the tube comprises the internal scaffold, and wherein the internal scaffold comprises one or both of an internal insert and an internal fin.

13. The reactor of claim 12, wherein the internal insert, the internal fin, or both comprises an internal scaffolding element, wherein the internal scaffolding element comprises a perpendicular element, an inner element, an angled element, or a combination comprising one or more of the foregoing.

14. The reactor of claim 4, wherein the tube comprises the external scaffold, and wherein the external scaffold comprises one or both of an external insert and an external fin.

15. The reactor of claim 14, wherein the external insert, the external fin, or both comprises an external scaffolding element and wherein the external scaffolding element comprises a helical element, an annular element, a studded element, a serrated element, a wire element, a cut helical element, a cut annular element, a wavy helical element, a slotted wavy helical element, a slotted helical element, or a combination comprising one or more of the foregoing.

16. The reactor of claim 4, wherein the catalyst varies in concentration, activity, or both from a feed end of the tube to an outlet end of the tube and wherein the variance is from low activity, concentration, or both at the feed end to a higher activity, concentration, or both, at the outlet end.

17. The reactor of claim 4, wherein the phosgene reactor has a heat transfer area per unit volume of 100 to 10,000 m²/m³.