Ethylene oxide operating temperature

Silver-containing catalysts are used exclusively in all commercial ethylene oxide units, although the catalyst composition may vary considerably (129). Nonsdver-based catalysts such as platinum, palladium, chromium, nickel, cobalt, copper ketenide, gold, thorium, and antimony have been investigated, but are only of academic interest (98,130—135). Catalysts using any of the above metals either have very poor selectivities for ethylene oxide production at the conversion levels required for commercial operation, or combust ethylene completely at useful operating temperatures. 

Unsteady-State Direct Oxidation Process. Periodic iatermption of the feeds can be used to reduce the sharp temperature gradients associated with the conventional oxidation of ethylene over a silver catalyst (209). Steady and periodic operation of a packed-bed reactor has been iavestigated for the production of ethylene oxide (210). By periodically varyiag the inlet feed concentration of ethylene or oxygen, or both, considerable improvements ia the selectivity to ethylene oxide were claimed. 

Despite these precautions, an explosion occurred. One day, when ethylene oxide addition was started, the pressure in the reactor rose. This showed that the ethylene oxide was not reacting. The operator decided that perhaps the temperature point was reading low or perhaps a bit more heat was required to start the reaction, so he adjusted the trip setting and allowed the indicated temperature to rise to 200°C. Still the pressure did not fall. 

Ethylene is currently converted to ethylene oxide with a selectivity of more than 80% under commercial conditions. Typical operating conditions are temperatures in the range 470 to 600 K with total pressures of 1 to 3 Mpa. In order to attain high selectivity to ethylene oxide (>80%), alkali promoters (e.g Rb or Cs) are added to the silver catalyst and ppm levels of chlorinated hydrocarbons (moderators) are added to the gas phase. Recently the addition of Re to the metal and of ppm levels of NOx to the gas phase has been found to further enhance the selectivity to ethylene oxide. 

At lower temperatures (260°C) higher operating pressures (5 bar) and high C2H4 to 02 ratios (Fig. 8.42) ethylene oxide formation and C02 formation both exhibit electrophobic behaviour over the entire Uwr range 47 Both rates vary by a factor of 200 as UWr is varied by 0.6 V (p varies between 3 and 0.015). The selectivity to ethylene oxide exhibits two local maxima 47 More interestingly, acetaldehyde appears as a new product47... 

Another study drew a comparison between the polymerisation of ethylene oxides and propylene oxides in similar operating conditions and in the presence of 10% of sodium hydroxide. When the polymerisation reached its maximum speed, the temperature reached 439°C for the former and 451 °C for the latter the pressures obtained are 44.6 and 26.6 bar respectively. 

A continuous flow stirred reactor operates off the decomposition of gaseous ethylene oxide fuel. If the fuel injection temperature is 300 K, the volume of the reactor is 1500 cm3, and the operating pressure is 20 atm, calculate the maximum rate of heat evolution possible in the reactor. Assume that the ethylene oxide follows homogeneous first-order reaction kinetics and that values of the reaction rate constant k are... 

Heterogeneous oxidative processes operate at high temperatures (250-450 6C) and are useful for the synthesis of acrolein and acrylic acid from propylene over bismuth molybdate catalysts, the synthesis of maleic and phthalic anhydrides from the oxidation of benzene (or C4 compounds) and naphthalene (or o-xylene) respectively over vanadium oxide,101 arid the synthesis of ethylene oxide from ethylene over silver catalysts.102... 

Nakahira [2.11] described, on the basis of his experience with VHP , the advantages of this process a short sterilization time at room temperature the possibility of updating existing plants and VHP does not, in contrast to ethylene oxide and formaldehyde, affect the health of the operators and can be decomposed to water and 02 without contaminating the atmosphere. 

The Carbowax column is very sensitive to oxidation when the stationary phase is exposed to traces of water or air especially at temperatures above about 160°C. A new type of cross-linking has been reported to impart resistance to oxidative degradation of the stationary phase [5-7]. Two other phases which show promise are an oligo-(ethylene oxide)-substituted polysiloxane (glyme) and an 18-crown-6-substituted polysilox-ane [8]. The glyme column offers a polar phase with good operational conditions to a low of a least 20°C with the same selectivity of Carbowax. The crown polysiloxane selectivity is based on the interaction of the solute molecule with the cavity of the crown ether. 

The most reliable method of detecting a runaway is online analysis of a product formed in the runaway reaction. For example, CO2 can be monitored in the offgas during the runaway-sensitive synthesis of ethylene oxide. If its concentration increases above a specified limit, the reactor must be shut down, purged with nitrogen, and for a certain period cooled to a lower temperature before operation is recommenced. 

---