Method for producing carbonates

• US 9,695,106 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2015
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2014
• 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., Nadal, Sergio Ferrer, Anderson, John Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Zucker, Paul A
• Application Number:
  US15/104,573
• Publication Number:
  US 20170001943A1
• Time in Patent Office: 881 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/245 placed in series
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2208/00185 Fingers
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2208/00194 Tubes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2208/00221 comprising baffles for guiding the flow of the heat exchange medium
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2208/00238 Adjusting the heat-exchange profile by adapting catalyst tubes or the distribution thereof, e.g. by using inserts in some of the tubes or adding external fins
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2208/00513 using inert heat absorbing solids in the bed
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2208/02 with stationary particles
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2208/065 Heating or cooling the reactor
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00015 Scale-up
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/192 polygonal
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/1923 square or square-derived
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/194 round
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/1943 cylindrical
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/1944 spiral
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/1946 conical
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/1947 oval or ellipsoidal
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/0285 Heating or cooling the reactor for tubular reactors in furnaces B01J8/062
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/0438 the beds being placed next to each other
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/0442 the beds being placed in separate reactors
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/067 Heating or cooling the reactor B01J8/062 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/80 : Phosgene
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 68/02 : from phosgene or haloformates
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 69/96 : Esters of carbonic or haloformic acids
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 1/025 : with variable shape, e.g. with modified tube ends, with different geometrical features F28F1/06, F28F1/08, F28F9/16, F28F9/18 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 1/08 : Tubular elements crimped or corrugated in longitudinal section
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 1/10 : Tubular elements and assemblies thereof with means for increasing heat-transfer area, e.g. with fins, with projections, with recesses crimped or corrugated elements F28F1/06, F28F1/08
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 1/16 : the means being integral with the element, e.g. formed by extrusion F28F1/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 1/24 : and extending transversely F28F1/38 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 1/34 : and extending obliquely F28F1/38 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 1/38 : and being staggered to form tortuous fluid passages
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 1/40 : the means being only inside the tubular element
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 1/426 : the outside portions and the inside portions forming parts of complementary shape, e.g. concave and convex
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 13/08 : by varying the cross-section of the flow channels
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2210/02 : with particular branching, e.g. fractal conduit arrangements

Abstract

In an embodiment, a method of producing a carbonate comprises reacting carbon monoxide and chlorine in a phosgene reactor in the presence of a catalyst to produce a first product comprising phosgene; wherein carbon tetrachloride is present in the first product in an amount of 0 to 10 ppm by volume based on the total volume of phosgene; and reacting a monohydroxy compound with the phosgene to produce the carbonate; wherein the phosgene reactor comprises a tube, a shell, and a space located between the tube and the shell; wherein the tube comprises one or more of a mini-tube section 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 a carbonate, comprising:

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

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

wherein the phosgene reactor is capable of producing greater than or equal to 2,000 kilograms of the first product per hour;

wherein the phosgene reactor comprises a tube, a shell, and a space located between the tube and the shell; 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 one or more of a mini-tube section and a second tube section, wherein the second tube section has an increased diameter relative to the mini-tube section;

a first concentric tube concentrically located in the shell;

a twisted tube;

an internal scaffold; and

an external scaffold; and

reacting a monohydroxy compound with the phosgene to produce the carbonate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the peak temperature in the phosgene reactor is less than 800°

C.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the peak temperature in the phosgene reactor is less than 400°

C.

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

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the tube comprises the first concentric tube concentrically located in the shell.

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

9. The method of claim 7, 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.

10. The method of claim 1, 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.

11. The method of claim 10, 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.

12. The method of claim 10, 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.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the tube comprises the internal scaffold, and wherein the internal scaffold comprises one or both of an internal insert and an internal fin.

14. The method of claim 13, 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.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the tube comprises the external scaffold, and wherein the external scaffold comprises one or both of an external insert and an external fin.

16. The method of claim 15, 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.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein phosgene reactor is capable of producing greater than or equal to 4,000 k/hr of product.

5. A method of producing a carbonate, comprising:

reacting carbon monoxide and chlorine in a phosgene reactor in the presence of a catalyst to produce a first product comprising phosgene and 0 to 10 ppm by volume of carbon tetrachloride based on the total volume of phosgene;

wherein the phosgene reactor is capable of producing greater than or equal to 2,000 kilograms of the first product per hour;

wherein the phosgene reactor comprises a tube, a shell, and a space located between the tube and the shell; 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 one or more of a mini-tube section and a second tube section;

a first concentric tube concentrically located in the shell;

a twisted tube;

an internal scaffold; and

an external scaffold;

wherein if the tube comprises the mini-tube section and the second tube section then the reacting comprises reacting the carbon monoxide and chlorine in the mini-tube section to produce a first tube composition, wherein the mini-tube has an average inner diameter of 0.1 to 10 millimeters; and

reacting at least a portion of the first tube composition in the second tube section to produce the first product, wherein the second tube section comprises an increased diameter tube with an average diameter greater than the mini-tube; and

reacting a monohydroxy compound with the phosgene to produce the carbonate.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the tube comprises the mini-tube section and the second tube section;

and wherein the average inner diameter of the increased diameter tube is greater than 6 millimeters.

18. The method of claim 5, wherein the tube comprises the mini-tube section and the second tube section.

19. A method of producing a carbonate, comprising:

reacting carbon monoxide and chlorine in a phosgene reactor in the presence of a catalyst to produce a first product comprising phosgene and 0 to 10 ppm by volume of carbon tetrachloride based on the total volume of phosgene;

wherein the catalyst comprises an active metal comprising one or more transition metals of Groups 3 to 10 of the Periodic Table, boron, aluminum, silicon, or a combination comprising one or more of the foregoing;

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

C.;

wherein the phosgene reactor has a heat transfer area per unit volume of 100 to 10,000 m²/m³;

wherein the phosgene reactor is capable of producing greater than or equal to 2,000 kilograms of the first product per hour;

wherein the phosgene reactor comprises at least one tube, a shell, and a space located between the tube and the shell; 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 one or more of a mini-tube section and a second tube section, wherein the second tube section has an increased diameter relative to the mini-tube section;

a first concentric tube concentrically located in the shell;

a twisted tube;

an internal scaffold; and

an external scaffold; and

reacting a monohydroxy compound with the phosgene to produce the carbonate.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the phosgene reactor comprises 1 to 1,200 of the tubes.