Patent ID: 7790775

Claim:
A process for use in equilibrium exothermic gas phase reactions comprising the steps of: (a) providing a recycle stream with the addition of make-up gas, to form a feed gas stream; (b) heating the feed gas stream; (c) passing the heated feed gas stream to a first reactor containing a catalyst for the exothermic gas phase reactions at conditions suitable for the reaction; (d) removing a product stream comprising product and unreacted gases from the first reactor; (e) cooling and partially condensing the product stream to form a gas phase and a liquid phase; (f) separating the liquid phase containing the desired product from the product stream and removing said liquid phase; (g) separating the gas phase from the product stream to form a gas stream; (h) optionally mixing the gas stream from the product stream with additional make-up gas; (i) heating the gas stream; (j) passing the heated gas stream to a final reactor containing a catalyst for the exothermic gas phase reactions at conditions suitable for the reaction; (k) removing a final product stream comprising product and unreacted gases from the final reactor; (l) cooling and partially condensing the final product stream to form a final gas phase and a final liquid phase; (m) separating the final liquid phase containing the desired product from the final product stream and removing said final liquid phase; and (n) separating the gas phase from the final product stream and recycling the gas to step (a); and in which the gas stream from step (g) is compressed prior to heating in step (i).