Retrofit reactor including gas/liquid ejector and monolith catalyst

Abstract

This invention relates to apparatus suited for gas-liquid reactions such as those employed in the hydrogenation or oxidation of organic compounds. The apparatus comprises the following: a tank having at least one inlet for introduction of liquid, at least one outlet for removal of liquid, and at least one outlet for removal of gas; a pump having an inlet and an outlet; a liquid motive gas ejector having at least one inlet for receiving liquid, at least one inlet for receiving a reactant gas and, at least one outlet for discharging a resulting mixture of said liquid and said reactant gas to a monolith catalytic reactor. Circulation of liquid is effected from the tank to the ejector, to the monolith catalytic reactor and then back to the tank. Gas is drawn from the tank to the ejector and mixed with the liquid prior to entry to the catalytic reactor.

1 . An apparatus for gas-liquid reactions such as those employed in the hydrogenation or oxidation of organic compounds which comprises the following: 
 a tank having at least one inlet for introduction of liquid, at least one outlet for removal of liquid, and at least one outlet for removal of gas;    a pump having an inlet and an outlet;    a liquid motive gas ejector having at least one inlet for receiving liquid, at least one inlet for receiving a reactant gas, and at least one outlet for discharging a mixture of said liquid and said reactant gas;    a monolith catalytic reactor having an inlet and an outlet;    wherein: 
 the inlet of said pump is in communication with said outlet from said tank for removal of liquid and said outlet of said pump is in communication with said inlet of said liquid motive gas ejector for receiving liquid;  
 the outlet from said liquid motive gas ejector for discharging the resultant mixture of liquid and gaseous reactant is in communication with the inlet to said monolith catalytic reactor and the outlet of said monolith catalytic reactor is in communication with at least one inlet to said tank; and,  
 the outlet from the tank for removal of gas is in communication with said inlet of the liquid motive gas ejector for receiving gas.  
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the monolith catalytic reactor contains between 10 and 1000 channels per square inch of cross-sectional area.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the monolithic structure is made of metal, ceramic or carbon, or combinations thereof.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3  wherein the channels of the monolith are filled with catalyst particles and the monolith catalytic reactor has from 10 to 50 channels per square inch.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 3  wherein the support is coated with catalytic metal.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5  wherein the support has from 200 to 1000 channels per square inch.  
     
     
         7 . In a process for the catalytic reaction of compounds wherein a liquid compound is contacted with a gaseous reactant in the presence of a catalytic component, the improvement which comprises effecting the reaction in a catalytic retrofit for a slurry reactor wherein: 
 (a) circulating a feed mixture of gaseous reactant and liquid compound to a liquid motive gas ejector under conditions for mixing said gaseous reactant and said liquid compound;    (b) removing the mixture of liquid compound and reactant gas from said liquid motive gas ejector and charging said mixture to the inlet of a monolith catalytic reactor;    (c) effecting reaction between said liquid compound and said gaseous reactant and thereby forming a reaction product containing unreacted liquid compound, unreacted gaseous reactant and final product;    (d) removing the reaction product from the exit of the monolith catalytic reactor and introducing to a tank;    (e) removing reaction product and additional liquid compound from said tank;    (f) removing gas from said tank;    (g) circulating the reaction product which had been discharged to the tank in step (d) to the liquid motive gas ejector and combining it with gas from the headspace of said tank per step (f), and, then through the monolith catalytic reactor until the desired conversion is effected, and then,    (h) removing final product from the process when the reaction has reached desired conversion.    
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 7  wherein the residence time through the monolith catalytic reactor is from 0.5 to 60 seconds.  
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 7  wherein the monolith catalytic reactor has from 10 to 50 channels per square inch and the channels are filled with catalyst particles.  
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 7  wherein the pressure differential from the inlet to the monolith catalytic reactor to the exit of said monolith catalytic reactor is from 0.5 to 30 pounds per square inch.  
     
     
         11 . The process of  claim 7  wherein the channel density in the monolith catalytic reactor is from 200 to 1000 channels per square inch and the catalyst is coated on the support walls.  
     
     
         12 . In an apparatus suited for effecting catalytic reactions between a reactant gas and reactant liquid, the improvement which comprises in combination: 
 a liquid motive gas ejector having at least one inlet for receiving liquid, at least one inlet for receiving a reactant gas, and at least one outlet for discharging a mixture of said reactant liquid and said reactant gas; and,    a monolith catalytic reactor having an inlet for receiving reactant gas and reactant liquid in communication with said outlet of said liquid motive gas ejector and an outlet for discharging a reaction product.    
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the monolith catalytic reactor has from 200 to 1000 channels per square inch and the catalytic material is coated on the walls of the support.  
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein the monolith catalytic reactor has a transition metal catalyst coated on the channel walls of the support.  
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the monolith catalytic reactor has from 10 to 50 channels per square inch and the channels are filled with catalyst particles.