Patent GB-691500-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to the addition of catalysts to liquid reaction mixtures
IPC: B01J8/00
Filed: 1951-06-05
Abstract: Ethyl chloride is produced from gaseous ethylene and hydrogen chloride in the presence of liquid ethyl chloride with the aid of a ferric chloride catalyst which is added periodically in the form of a package in a wrapper such as a styrene-isobutylene copolymer, which is soluble or dispersible in ethyl chloride.  In Fig. 1, a reactor 10 filled with liquid ethyl chloride is fed <PICT:0691500/IV (b)/1> with hydrogen chloride and ethylene from pipes 12 and 13 under pressure. Product liquid is withdrawn at 16 and the remainder recycled by pump 17 through chamber 18 and pipe 20.  Catalyst addition is made to the chamber 18 in response to an increase in pressure in the reactor due to a decrease in production of the liquid product.  A catalyst package, contained in a pocket of a reservoir wheel 23 is then fed to pipe 27 through a pressure lock 29 to the chamber 18, or alternatively to the reactor 10.  In an example a gaseous mixture of hydrogen chloride and ethylene in the mole. ratio of 1 : 1.07 is admitted at 150 p.s.i. pressure to a reaction chamber containing liquid ethyl chloride and ferric chloride catalyst.  The reaction temperature is maintained at 130 DEG  F. by cooling whilst sufficient ethyl chloride is withdrawn to maintain the pressure constant.  An increase of pressure of 6 p.s.i. operates an automatic catalyst package addition.ALSO:<PICT:0691500/III/1> In a catalyst promoted reaction taking place in a liquid reaction medium, catalyst is added periodically as a package enclosed in a wrapper which is soluble or otherwise dispersible in the liquid reaction medium.  The method is particularly applicable to reactions where gaseous reactants are supplied to a reactor under elevated presence, and the liquid product is continuously withdrawn.  The catalyst addition can then be made when the pressure in the reactor rises above a predetermined value. As shown in Fig. 1, a reactor 10 containing a liquid reaction mixture 11 under superatmospheric pressure, is fed with reactants under pressure from lines 12 and 13 and pipe 14.  The liquid 11 is continuously withdrawn through pipe 15, a part being removed at 16 for product recovery, whilst the remainder is circulated by pump 17 through an enlarged chamber 18 and pipe 20.  Catalyst packages are contained in pockets in a rotatable reservoir wheel 23, the packages resting on a base plate 25 which is apertured above a tube 27 to allow catalyst packages to be fed at each movement of the wheel 23. The packages enter a pressure lock 29 formed by gate valves 28 and 30 and from thence pass to the chamber 18.  Here the wrapper dissolves and the catalyst entrained, a screen 19 retaining undissolved portions of the wrapper.  As applied to the production of ethyl chloride from gaseous hydrogen chloride and ethylene in the presence of liquid ethyl chloride, ferric chloride catalyst, encapsulated in a styrene-isobutylene copolymer wrapper, is fed to the chamber 18 (or direct to the reactor 10) whenever the pressure in the reactor rises sufficiently to operate a timing device 40 which automatically feeds a capsule from reservoir 23 through the pressure lock 29 filled with ethylene or an inert gas under pressure, to the chamber 18.  Other catalysts and reactions mentioned are Raney nickel catalyst packages for hydrogenation processes and aluminium chloride and antimony trichloride packages for alkylation reactions.  Polyvinyl chloride and other vinyl halide resins may be used as wrappers.