CATALYTIC FIXED BED REACTOR FOR PRODUCING ETHYLENE OXIDE BY PARTIAL OXIDATION OF ETHYLENE

摘要

A method and a reaction vessel for producing gaseous ethylene oxide from partial oxidation of hydrocarbon using a heterogeneous catalyst fixed bed comprising: introducing gaseous ethylene oxygen ballast gas and catalyst promoter into a reaction vessel having a catalyst bed with a length such that an outflow area and an inflow area over said catalyst bed length in between the reactor outflow and inflow has an absolute ratio difference less than or equal to 1.3 m; said catalyst having a selectivity greater than 80%; circulating a heat transfer fluid through at least one coolant heat exchanger in said shell interior; said heat exchanger having a coolant flow cross sectional area ratio to cooling surface area less than 1; flowing said gaseous ethylene oxygen ballast gas and catalyst promoter over said catalyst and through an outlet zone in said reactor vessel said zone configured with an average residence time of less than or equal to 4 seconds from the catalyst bed to the heat exchanger to quench said process to create gaseous ethylene oxide product.