Reactor conditions

Before we can explore how reactor conditions can be chosen, we require some measure of reactor performance. For polymerization reactors, the most important measure of performance is the distribution of molecular weights in the polymer product. The distribution of molecular weights dictates the mechanical properties of the polymer. For other types of reactors, three important parameters are used to describe their performance ... 

Multiple reactions also can occur with impurities that enter with the feed and undergo reaction. Again, such reactions should be minimized, but the most efiective means of dealing with byproduct reactions caused by feed impurities is not to alter reactor conditions but to introduce feed purification. 

If the reactor proves to be inappropriately placed, then the process changes might be possible to correct this. One option would be to change the reactor conditions to bring this about. Most often,... 

Only the surface layers of the catalyst soHd ate generaHy thought to participate in the reaction (125,133). This implies that while the bulk of the catalyst may have an oxidation state of 4+ under reactor conditions, the oxidation state of the surface vanadium may be very different. It has been postulated that both V" " and V " oxidation states exist on the surface of the catalyst, the latter arising from oxygen chemisorption (133). Phosphoms enrichment is also observed at the surface of the catalyst (125,126). The exact role of this excess surface phosphoms is not weH understood, but it may play a role in active site isolation and consequently, the oxidation state of the surface vanadium. 

Shell Higher Olefins Process (SHOP). In the Shell ethylene oligomerization process (7), a nickel ligand catalyst is dissolved in a solvent such as 1,4-butanediol (Eig. 4). Ethylene is oligomerized on the catalyst to form a-olefins. Because a-olefins have low solubiUty in the solvent, they form a second Hquid phase. Once formed, olefins can have Htfle further reaction because most of them are no longer in contact with the catalyst. Three continuously stirred reactors operate at ca 120°C and ca 14 MPa (140 atm). Reactor conditions and catalyst addition rates allow Shell to vary the carbon distribution. 

The U.S. Department of Energy has funded a research program to develop the Hquid-phase methanol process (LPMEOH) (33). This process utilizes a catalyst such as copper—zinc oxide suspended in a hydrocarbon oil. The Hquid phase is used as a heat-transfer medium and allows the reaction to be conducted at higher conversions than conventional reactor designs. In addition, the use of the LPMEOH process allows the use of a coal-derived, CO-rich synthesis gas. Typical reactor conditions for this process are 3.5—6.3 MPa (35—60 atm) and 473—563 K (see Methanol). 

Under polymerisation conditions, the active center of the transition-metal haHde is reduced to a lower valence state, ultimately to which is unable to polymerise monomers other than ethylene. The ratio /V +, in particular, under reactor conditions is the determining factor for catalyst activity to produce EPM and EPDM species. This ratio /V + can be upgraded by adding to the reaction mixture a promoter, which causes oxidation of to Examples of promoters in the eadier Hterature were carbon tetrachloride, hexachlorocyclopentadiene, trichloroacetic ester, and hensotrichloride (8). Later, butyl perchlorocrotonate and other proprietary compounds were introduced (9,10). 

General. The flame-sprayed Raney nickel catalyst was used in exexperiments HGR-10, HGR-12, and HGR-14, the pelleted precipitated catalyst in experiment HGR-13. Reactor conditions as a function of... 

Experiment HGR-14. The reactor was packed with 2 ft of parallel plates sprayed with Raney nickel (Table I) catalyst spraying and activation were as described under catalyst preparation. Operating conditions were practically the same as in experiment HGR-13 except for the periodic changes in the CGR ratio (see Figure 8 for reactor conditions and Figure 9 for product gas characteristics). 

First-stage reactor conditions space velocity, vol/vol hr feed gas flow rate, lb/hr recycle flow rate, lb/hr recycle molecular weight reactor temperatures, °C... 

Neutralization of organic acid within 1 min after sulfonation reactor. A separate aging step is not needed under commercial reactor conditions Short residence time falling film reactor required to avoid thermal breakdown of R0S03H... 

There Is a large body of experimental literature relating to polymer fractionation In liquid-liquid equilibria. In addition, numerous authors have analyzed polymer fractionation using Flory-Huggins theory. We have considered use of the corresponding states theory to model polymer fractionation for the ethylene/ polyethylene system at reactor conditions (18). Results of the... 

Table II summarizes the yields obtained from the CONGAS computer output variable study of the gas phase polymerization of propylene. The reactor is assumed to be a perfect backmix type. The base case for this comparison corresponds to the most active BASF TiC 3 operated at almost the same conditions used by Wisseroth, 80 C and 400 psig. Agitation speed is assumed to have no effect on yield provided there is sufficient mixing. The variable study is divided into two parts for discussion catalyst parameters and reactor conditions. The catalyst is characterized by kg , X, and d7. Percent solubles is not considered because there is presently so little kinetic data to describe this. The reactor conditions chosen for study are those that have some significant effect on the kinetics temperature, pressure, and gas composition.

Free-Radical Polymerization Sensitivity of Conversion and Molecular Weights to Reactor Conditions... 

The initiator usage can play a role in the economics of resin production. The computer simulations show the usage to be dependent on the initiator type. The effect of the initiator type on the amount of initiator required to produce a given quantity of resin at optimum reactor conditions is shown in Figures 11 and 12. 

Reactor Conditions for Experimental Runs. Operating conditions for the continuous, stirred tank reactor runs were chosen to study the effects of mixing speed on the monomer conversion and molecular weight distribution at different values for the number average degree of polymerization of the product polymer. 

The surface transformations of propylene, allyl alcohol and acrylic acid in the presence or absence of NHs over V-antimonate catalysts were studied by IR spectroscopy. The results show the existence of various possible pathways of surface transformation in the mechanism of propane ammoxidation, depending on the reaction condition and the surface coverage with chemisorbed NH3. A surface reaction network is proposed and used to explain the catalytic behavior observed in flow reactor conditions. 

Competitive adsorption on carbon was also studied. The results are shown in Figure 34.8. The product PG competitively adsorbs to carbon more readily than the starting material. This can have implications in reaching full conversion and on product stability. The impact of the relative adsorption is alleviated under continuous flow reactor conditions where we are able to achieve high conversion and high yield. A full accounting of the adsorption work will be the subject of a later publication. 

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