Patent ID: 6202654
Filing Date: 2001-03-20
Classification: B01F,B01J

Abstract:
A method of cleaning a reactor vessel for a chemical process comprising a container (30) and one or more conduits (32, 33, 36) associated with the container preparatory to the chemical process being carried out in the reactor vessel, the method comprising a cleaning solvent adding stage in which a volume of a cleaning solvent for contaminants contained in the reactor vessel is added to the reactor vessel and a cleaning solvent circulation stage in which the volume of cleaning solvent is circulated in the reactor vessel characterized in that during the cleaning solvent circulation stage at least a portion of the volume of the cleaning solvent is purified and recycled back into the reactor vessel by forcing the at least a portion of the volume of the cleaning solvent through a filter system (1, 4, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17) having an inlet in fluid communication with the reactor vessel, an outlet in fluid communication with the reactor vessel and a flow path between the inlet and the outlet which contains an adsorbent (3) for the contaminants.