Patent ID: 7268254

Claim:
A process for partial oxidation in the gas phase of C3 and/or C4 precursor compounds to (meth)acrolein and/or (meth)acrylic acid in the presence of a heterogeneous particulate catalyst in a reactor comprising one or more cuboidal thermoplate modules which are each formed from two or more rectangular thermoplates arranged parallel to each other while in each case leaving a gap which can be filled with the heterogeneous particulate catalyst and is flowed through by a fluid reaction mixture, the heat of reaction being absorbed by a heat carrier which flows through the thermoplates and thus at least partly evaporating, and also comprising a predominantly cylindrical shell which releases the pressure at the thermoplate modules, completely surrounds them and comprises a cylinder jacket and hoods which seal it at both ends and whose longitudinal axis is aligned parallel to the plane of the thermoplates, and also comprising one or more sealing elements which are arranged in such a way that the fluid reaction mixture, apart from flowing through the reactor interior spaces bounded by the hoods, only flows through the gap(s).