Reactor first commercial

The OLEFLEX process uses multiple side-by-side, radial flow, moving-bed reactors connected in series. The heat of reaction is suppHed by preheated feed and interstage heaters. The gas-phase reaction is carried out over a catalyst, platinum supported over alumina, under very near isothermal conditions. The first commercial installation of this technology, having an annual capacity of 100,000 t, was made in 1990 by the National Petrochemical Corporation in Thailand. A second unit, at 245,000 t capacity, has been built in South Korea by the ISU Chemical Company (70). 

The first commercial operation of the Lurgi process was in Germany in 1936 using brown coal. The reactor was modified to stir the coal bed to permit utilization of bituminous coal. One plant was built at the Dorsten Works of Steinkohlengas AG, and the Sasol plants were built in South Africa to provide synthesis gas for Hquid fuels. 

The first commercial fluidized bed polyeth)4eue plant was constructed by Union Carbide in 1968. Modern units operate at 100°C and 32 MPa (300 psig). The bed is fluidized with ethylene at about 0.5 m/s and probably operates near the turbulent fluidization regime. The excellent mixing provided by the fluidized bed is necessary to prevent hot spots, since the unit is operated near the melting point of the product. A model of the reactor (Fig. 17-25) that coupes Iduetics to the hydrodynamics was given by Choi and Ray, Chem. Eng. ScL, 40, 2261, 1985. 

Hessel and Lowe provide examples of hybrid, i.e. multi-scale, approaches, including the first commercial systems (see Section 1.1.7) [9, 10]. Such approaches are currently most often favored for micro-reactor construction, simply for practical time and cost reasons. In addition, such an approach allows one to fit micro reactors in existing industrial and academic environments for production and measurement. The micro reactor is only used where it is really needed, and in this way costs of changing the processing are kept to a minimum. 

Reaction calorimetry is a technique which uses data on the rate of heat evolution or consumption to evaluate the thermokinetic reaction characteristics needed for reactor scale-up and/or optimization and safety. Since the late seventies, the application of this technique has been steadily growing and reaction calorimeters are now commercially available. Probably the first commercial reactor calorimeter was developed by CIBA-GEIGY (Bench Scale Calorimeter BSC) (see Beyrich et al, 1980 and Regenass et al., 1978, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1997))... 

Fan (1989) provided a detailed historical development of three-phase fluidization systems in reactor applications. Only a brief review of the significant accomplishments and the economic factors affecting the development of three-phase reactors will be provided here. Table 1 provides the important contributions in the application of three-phase fluidization systems for the past several decades. The direct liquefaction of coal to produce liquid fuels was the first commercial reactor application of three-phase fluidization systems, with development having occurred from the mid-1920 s throughout the 1940 s. A large effort was put forth at this time in Europe for the production of liquid fuels from coal as a direct... 

Borstar A catalytic process for polymerizing ethylene. Use of two reactors, a loop reactor and a gas-phase reactor, allows better control of molecular weight distribution. The loop reactor operates under super-critical conditions to avoid bubble formation. Either Ziegler-Natta or metallocene catalysts can be used. The first commercial unit was installed in Porvoo, Finland, in 1995. 

Catalloy A gas-phase process for making olefin co-polymers, using Ziegler-Natta catalysts. It uses a series of three gas-phase reactors to which monomer is progressively added. The properties of the product can be varied according to the monomer grades used. Developed by Himont and first commercialized in 1990. Now operated by a joint venture of Montell Polyolefins and Japan Polyolefins. See also Hivalloy. 

CLINSULF [Carl von Linde sulfur] A variation of the Claus process in which the heat from the process is used to heat a second catalytic reactor. The process is designed for gases rich in hydrogen sulfide. First commercialized in 1992 and offered by Linde, Munich. 

Also used commercially for making tantalum, niobium, and zirconium. The reduction takes place in a batch reactor under an inert gas atmosphere. Invented by W. J. Kroll in Luxembourg in 1937, first commercialized by Du Pont in 1948, and now widely used. See also Hunter. 

LARAN [Linde anaerobic methane] An anaerobic process for treating industrial waste waters, generating methane for use as fuel. The process uses a fixed-bed loop reactor. Developed by Linde in the early 1980s, first commercialized in 1987. 

METEX [Metal extraction] A process for extracting heavy metals from industrial waste waters by adsorption on activated sludge under anaerobic conditions. It is operated in an up-flow, cylindrical reactor with a conical separation zone at the top. Developed by Linde, originally for removing dissolved copper from winemaking wastes. First commercialized in 1987. 

Sclairtech An advanced version of the Sclair ethylene polymerization process, using a Ziegler-Natta catalyst and multiple reactors. Announced in 1996. The first commercial plant will be built in Alberta by Amoco Canada and Nova, and is scheduled for completion in 2000. 

UNIPOL [Union Carbide Polymerization] A process for polymerizing ethylene to polyethylene, and propylene to polypropylene. It is a low-pressure, gas-phase, fluidized-bed process, in contrast to the Ziegler-Natta process, which is conducted in the liquid phase. The catalyst powder is continuously added to the bed and the granular product is continuously withdrawn. A co-monomer such as 1-butene is normally used. The polyethylene process was developed by F. J. Karol and his colleagues at Union Carbide Corporation the polypropylene process was developed jointly with the Shell Chemical Company. The development of the ethylene process started in the mid 1960s, the propylene process was first commercialized in 1983. It is currently used under license by 75 producers in 26 countries, in a total of 96 reactors with a combined capacity of over 12 million tonnes/y. It is now available through Univation, the joint licensing subsidiary of Union Carbide and Exxon Chemical. A supported metallocene catalyst is used today. 

It is convenient that the normal temperature leaving the recycle blower coincides with the desired Selectox reactor inlet temperature. Thus the recycle acts as a thermal flywheel, keeping the Selectox reactor in condition to convert H2S even though its fresh feed may be temporarily slowed or made too lean. We expect the process to be very stable. Union and Parsons are confident of the new process, based on experience at Lingen and extensive pilot unit work, and we expect that design of the first commercial plant will be underway by the time this paper is presented. 

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