PETROCHEMICAL PLANT FOR PRODUCING CYCLOHEXANE AND METHOD OF OPERATION

摘要

1329026 Cyclohexane GULF RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT CO 24 Nov 1970 [15 Dec 1969] 55779/70 Heading C5E Benzene is hydrogenated to cyclohexane in 3 reactors by a process comprising (a) supplying gaseous H 2 and a liquid benzene feed stream including a recycled portion of cyclohexane to the first reactor after heat exchanging said stream with the effluent stream from the second reactor; (b) supplying a second feed stream containing benzene to the second reactor after heat exchanging said second stream with the effluent from the first reactor; (c) supplying the effluent from the second reactor to a third reactor wherein the reaction in the first reactor is completed, but the reaction in the second reactor is terminated before completion and unreacted benzene from the second reactor is passed to the third reactor to complete the reaction, and wherein the inlet and outlet temperatures and pressures of the reactants at each of the reactors are controlled so that the temperatures thereof remain continually above the dew point of all reactants including the recycle portion so as to maintain the reactants completely in the vapour phase uniformly throughout each of the reactors. Preferably the second reactor feed stream together with a portion of recycle cyclohexane is sprayed into the first reactor effluent stream for quenching purposes. A third liquid benzene stream may be supplied to the third reactor in heat exchange relation to the effluent from the second reactor. The temperature of the reactants in each of the reactors is preferably maintained within the range 143 to less than 288‹C.