In supercritical

Jinno, K., Hyphenated Techniques in Supercritical Fluid Chromatography and Extraction, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1992. 

The second type of solution polymerization concept uses mixtures of supercritical ethylene and molten PE as the medium for ethylene polymerization. Some reactors previously used for free-radical ethylene polymerization in supercritical ethylene at high pressure (see Olefin POLYMERS,LOW DENSITY polyethylene) were converted for the catalytic synthesis of LLDPE. Both stirred and tubular autoclaves operating at 30—200 MPa (4,500—30,000 psig) and 170—350°C can also be used for this purpose. Residence times in these reactors are short, from 1 to 5 minutes. Three types of catalysts are used in these processes. The first type includes pseudo-homogeneous Ziegler catalysts. In this case, all catalyst components are introduced into a reactor as hquids or solutions but form soHd catalysts when combined in the reactor. Examples of such catalysts include titanium tetrachloride as well as its mixtures with vanadium oxytrichloride and a trialkyl aluminum compound (53,54). The second type of catalysts are soHd Ziegler catalysts (55). Both of these catalysts produce compositionaHy nonuniform LLDPE resins. Exxon Chemical Company uses a third type of catalysts, metallocene catalysts, in a similar solution process to produce uniformly branched ethylene copolymers with 1-butene and 1-hexene called Exact resins (56). 

The WAG process has been used extensively in the field, particularly in supercritical CO2 injection, with considerable success (22,157,158). However, a method to further reduce the viscosity of injected gas or supercritical fluid is desired. One means of increasing the viscosity of CO2 is through the use of supercritical C02-soluble polymers and other additives (159). The use of surfactants to form low mobihty foams or supercritical CO2 dispersions within the formation has received more attention (160—162). Foam has also been used to reduce mobihty of hydrocarbon gases and nitrogen. The behavior of foam in porous media has been the subject of extensive study (4). X-ray computerized tomographic analysis of core floods indicate that addition of 500 ppm of an alcohol ethoxyglycerylsulfonate increased volumetric sweep efficiency substantially over that obtained in a WAG process (156). 

Alcohols undergo dehydration in supercritical and hot water (41). Tertiary alcohols require no catalyst, but secondary and primary alcohols require an acid catalyst. With 0.01 MH2SO4 as a catalyst, ethanol eliminates water at 385°C and 34.5 MPa to form ethene. Reaction occurs in tens of seconds. Only a small amount of diethyl ether forms as a side reaction. 

In terms of the solubilities of solutes in a supercritical phase, the following generalizations can be made. Solute solubiUties in supercritical fluids approach and sometimes exceed those of Hquid solvents as the SCF density increases. SolubiUties typically increase as the pressure is increased. Increasing the temperature can cause increases, decreases, or no change in solute solubiUties, depending on the temperature effect on solvent density and/or the solute vapor pressure. Also, at constant SCF density, a temperature increase increases the solute solubiUty (16). 

Reactions. Supercritical fluids are attractive as media for chemical reactions. Solvent properties such as solvent strength, viscosity, diffusivity, and dielectric constant may be adjusted over the continuum of gas-like to Hquid-like densities by varying pressure and temperature. Subsequently, these changes can be used to affect reaction conditions. A review encompassing the majority of studies and apphcations of reactions in supercritical fluids is available (96). 

Gas AntisolventRecrystallizations. A limitation to the RESS process can be the low solubihty in the supercritical fluid. This is especially evident in polymer—supercritical fluid systems. In a novel process, sometimes termed gas antisolvent (GAS), a compressed fluid such as CO2 can be rapidly added to a solution of a crystalline soHd dissolved in an organic solvent (114). Carbon dioxide and most organic solvents exhibit full miscibility, whereas in this case the soHd solutes had limited solubihty in CO2. Thus, CO2 acts as an antisolvent to precipitate soHd crystals. Using C02 s adjustable solvent strength, the particle size and size distribution of final crystals may be finely controlled. Examples of GAS studies include the formation of monodisperse particles (<1 fiva) of a difficult-to-comminute explosive (114) recrystallization of -carotene and acetaminophen (86) salt nucleation and growth in supercritical water (115) and a study of the molecular thermodynamics of the GAS crystallization process (21). 

Supercritial boilers use all-volatile treatments, generally consisting of ammonia and hydrazine. Because of the extreme potential for deposit formation and steam contamination, no soHds can be tolerated in supercritical once-through boiler water, including treatment soHds. 

For a given fixed flow rate Q = Vbh, and channel width profile b(x), Eq. (6-56) may be integrated to determine the liquid depth profile h(x). The dimensionless Fronde number is Fr = VVg/j. When Fr = 1, the flow is critical, when Fr < 1, the flow is subcritical, and when Fr > 1, the flow is supercritical. Surface disturbances move at a wave velocity c = V they cannot propagate upstream in supercritical flows. The specific energy Ejp is nearly constant. 

The two fluids most often studied in supercritical fluid technology, carbon dioxide and water, are the two least expensive of all solvents. Carbon dioxide is nontoxic, nonflammable, and has a near-ambient critical temperature of 31.1°C. CO9 is an environmentally friendly substitute for organic solvents including chlorocarbons and chloroflu-orocarbons. Supercritical water (T = 374°C) is of interest as a substitute for organic solvents to minimize waste in extraction and reaction processes. Additionally, it is used for hydrothermal oxidation of hazardous organic wastes (also called supercritical water oxidation) and hydrothermal synthesis. 

THE EFFECT OF PROTON-DONATING MODEFIER ON THE SOLUBILITY ENHANCEMENT OF TRIS(p-DIKETONATO) CHROMIUM(HI) IN SUPERCRITICAL CARBON DIOXIDE... 

Supercritical Water Oxidation (SCWO) Wet oxidation occurring in supercritical water at temperatures greater than 374°C (705°F) and pressures greater than 221 bar (3204 psig). 

The equilibrium between neutral a and zwitterionic b forms in the case of nicotinic 6 and isonicotinic 7 acids has been studied by Halle in mixtures of DMSO and water (from 0 to 100%) (Scheme 4). The position of the equilibrium is very sensitive to the composition of the solvent and for more than 80% of DMSO, the a form essentially dominates the equilibrium in solution (96CJC613). An analysis of their data shows a perfect linear relationship (r = 1) between the In Kt of the two acids and moderate linear relationships between In Kt and the percentage of DMSO. Johnston has studied the equilibrium 2-hydroxypyridine/2-pyridone in supercritical fluids (propane at 393 K and 1,1-difluoroethane at 403 K) (89JPC4297). The equilibrium constant Kt (pyridone/hydroxypyridine) increases four-fold for a pressure increase of 40 bar in 1,1-difluoroethane. 

T. Hartmann, E. Schwabe, T. Scheper, Enzyme catalysis in supercritical fluids in R. Patel, Stereoselective Biocatalysis, Marcel Dekker, 2000, 799. 

Polymerization, including radical polymerization, in supercritical C02 has been reviewed.1 6 137 It should be noted supercritical C()2 while a good solvent for many monomers is a very poor solvent for polymers such as the (meth)acrylates and S. As a consequence, with the exception of certain fluoropolymers and polymerizations taken to very low conversion, most polymerizations in supercritical CCb are of necessity precipitation, dispersion or emulsion polymerizations. 

At above the critical pressure of 3,203.6 psi, virtually no solids can be tolerated in boiler FW because all of the water is converted to steam, which passes through the turbine. Copper corrosion products tend to be the most troublesome contaminant in supercritical boilers, consequently all efforts must be made to prevent copper and other metallic oxides from entering the boiler. FW quality guidelines include ... 

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