Reactor and continuously performed with it process for preparation of ethylene glycol carbonate or propylene glycol carbonate

摘要

A bubble column reactor is described which is characterised by a degree of slenderness as a ratio of height to diameter of 2 to 50, a feed for the ethylene glycol carbonate (EGC) or propylene glycol carbonate (PGC) already present and serving as reaction medium, at the lower end of the bubble column, one or more addition sites for the starting materials CO2 and ethylene oxide (EOX) or propylene oxide (POX) above the feed for the reaction medium, an outlet for the reaction mixture at the upper end of the bubble column, a divider attached thereto for the emerging reaction mixture for division into reaction mixture to be taken and worked up on the one hand and into reaction mixture to be recycled on the other hand and further a return line for the supply of the reaction mixture to be recycled. This bubble column reactor can be employed in an advantageous manner in a process for the continuous preparation of EGC or PGC, which is carried out in the temperature range from 100 to 200@C, in the pressure range from 5 to 200 bar and at a molar ratio of 1.01 to 1.5 mol of CO2 per mol of alkylene oxide in EGC or PGC which is already present as a reaction medium in an amount which is 7- to 350-fold the newly formed EGC or PGC.