Catalytic distillation process and device separating liquid and vapour - so the vapour is only in contact with the liquid during distillation and not during reaction

摘要

Reactive distn. process where the reactants are introduced, possibly diluted by a diluent and with an excess of one of the reactants, into at least one level of a reactive distn. zone which includes: (a) at least one catalytic reaction zone with at least one catalytic bed containing catalyst; (b) at least one lower distn. zone located below the catalytic zone; and (c) at least one other upper distn. zone above the catalytic zone. The conditions are maintained to have a liq. and a vapour phase in the reactive distn. zone. The majority of the liq. and vapour is circulated from bottom to top across the catalyst in the catalytic zone, such that the vapour is not in contact with the catalyst. Part of the required reaction product is recovered, as are part of the possible diluent and the reactants. Most of the liq. from the upper distn. zone is collected in at least one collector so it arrives in the centre of the catalytic zone, below each bed, without coming in contact with the catalyst. Most of the liq. below the bed is circulated radially using at least one circulator to introduce it into at least one zone for dividing the liq.. Most of the liq. is recovered after its passage through the bed by at least one liq. discharge, which removes the liq. to the lower distn. zone. Also claimed is a reactive distn. device to carry out the above process, comprising the zones (a), (b) and (c) described above, with at least one means of circulating most of the liq. from bottom to top across the catalyst in each bed, at least one means of circulating vapour from bottom to top of the catalytic zone, such that the vapour is not in contact with the catalyst, and at least one collector designed so liq. from the upper distn. zone arrives at the centre of the catalytic zone under each bed. This collector has an upper collection zone and at least one pipe transferring the liq. from top to bottom of the catalytic zone without contact with the catalyst. The device also contains at least one means of circulating the liq. radially below each bed in the catalytic zone such as to introduce it to at least one partition zone, and at least one means of discharging the liq. from the bed which comprises at least one pipe, so that the liq. after its passage through the catalytic bed is discharged into the lower distn. zone.