Chemithon falling-film reactor

Chemithon falling film reactor Falling film reactor... 

There are seven main sulphonation reactor systems used world-wide for SOs/air sulphonation for which there is proven practical and documented experience The Ballestra Sulphurex continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) cascade, the Ballestra Sulphurex F (a multitube falling-film reactor (MT-FFR)) the Chemithon falling-film reactor (FFR), the Chemithon Jet Impact Reactor, the MM falling-film reactor (FFR), the Mazzoni Sulpho film reactor (a multitube falling-film reactor) and the Japanese T-0 FFR reactor system. 

Final product specification for Ballestra sulphurex CSTR sulphonation system Final product specification for Ballestra multi-tube falling-film reactor (MT-FFR) Final product specification for Chemithon falling-film reactor system (FFR)... 

The Chemithon falling film monotube reactor with subsequent quench loop reactor... 

Co-current flow of the organic feedstock and the SOj/air is realised in all falling-film reactor types and the Chemithon Jet Impact Reactor. 

The pure falling-film reactors will have the shortest residence time, order of magnitude 30 seconds. The Chemithon FFR and Jet Impact Reactor, both with quench loop, could have an organic liquid residence time of about 2 to 5 minutes, depending on the liquid level in the de-gassing tank. Finally the Ballestra CSTR system shows a total residence time for the organic liquid of the order of 60 minutes. 

Higher gas velocities at a fixed SO3 concentration in the Chemithon-design film reactors reduced 1,4-dioxane levels. The higher gas velocities achieved this result by reducing the reactor residence time of the organic phase in the falling-film part (residence times of 10 seconds or less) and by improving the heat and mass transfer rates in the reactor. 

Stepan was the first to develop and conunercialize a continuous falling film SO3 sulfonation process. The design is a multitubular unit. The company operates about 12 falling film SO3 sulfonation units in the United States, not only for the production of linear alkyl benzene sulfonates, but substantial amounts of fatty alcohol and fatty alcohol ethoxylates are also sulfated. Other key commercial reactor designs are by Chemithon, Ballestra SpA, Lion, Mazzoni SpA, and Meccaniche Modeme. Several features are common to all falling-film systems. Fatty alcohol and alcohol ethoxylates are reacted at a rate of about 0.3 kg/h/mm with SO3 concentration at about 2-3%. Liquid residence times are estimated at 10-30 s and most units operate with gas velocities in the range of hurricane wind velocities (121-322 km/h). ° Linear alcohols and linear alcohol ethoxylates are by far the easiest to sulfate. Caution is required with branched alcohols as color and conversion can suffer. 

The reactor is of the thin annular falling-film type, similar to the Chemithon reactor. It has a short length of about 2 m and a diameter of typically 0.3 to 1.0 m, depending on the capacity of the reactor. The width of the annulus through which the liquid film flows is about 5.5 to 30 mm. At the base of the film reactor, the reaction mixture is immediately quenched with an excess of... 

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