Patent GB-633334-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to the partial oxidation of hydrocarbons in the vapour phase
IPC: C01B3/30
Filed: 1943-02-16
Abstract: <PICT:0633334/III/1> The partial oxidation of hydrocarbons in the vapour phase is effected by passing the vapour upwardly through a reaction zone A p  containing a dense pseudo-liquid phase of finely-divided contact material, the velocity being such that a substantial proportion of the latter is carried out of the reactor in suspension in the reaction products, whereby their temperature is maintained uniform.  The entrained particles are separated from the reaction products by cyclons 13, 14 and returned to the reactor. Contact material may also be withdrawn from the dense phase by conduits 11 and either suspended in a part of the reaction gas and returned to the reactor after passage through a heater or cooler 26, or suspended, e.g. in air and passed through a regenerator A1 resembling the reactor in construction, the regenerated material being suspended in feed gas in pipe 4 and recycled.  The contact material may be a catalyst, e.g. vanadium pentoxide, an oxidising agent such as copper oxide, or an inert material maintaining temperature control.  Reactions described are the catalytic oxidation of naphthalene to phthalic anhydride and the oxidation of methane to formaldehyde by means of copper oxide.  The conversion of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons in general to alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, acids, &c. is mentioned.  The Specification as open to inspection under Sect. 91 comprises also the extension of the invention to vapour phase reactions in general but includes no further specific examples.  This subject-matter does not appear in the Specification as accepted.ALSO:The partial oxidation of hydrocarbons in the vapour phase is effected by passing the vapour upwardly through a reaction zone A containing a dense pseudo-liquid phase of finely-divided contact material, the velocity being such that a substantial proportion of the latter is carried out of the reactor in suspension in the reaction products, whereby their temperature is maintained uniform.  The entrained particles are separated from the reaction products by cyclones 13, 14 and returned to the reactor.  Contact material may also be withdrawn from the dense phase by conduits 11 and <PICT:0633334/IV (b)/1> either suspended in a part of the reaction gas and returned to the reactor after passage through a heater or cooler 26, or suspended, e.g. in air, and passed through a regenerator A1 resembling the reactor in construction, the regenerated material being suspended in feed gas in pipe 4 and recycled.  The contact material may be a catalyst, an oxidizing agent such as copper oxide, or an inert material maintaining temperature control. Reactions described are the catalytic oxidation of naphthalene to phthalic anhydride and the oxidation of methane to formaldehyde by means of copper oxide.  The conversion of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons in general to unsaturated hydro carbons, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, and acids, is referred to with specific mention of acetylene, butene, butadiene, maleic acid, and benzoic acid as products.