Patent ID: 8398931

Claim:
A method for converting a substrate to a product, comprising: (a) providing a recirculating reactor comprising: 1) a packed bed reaction chamber containing a particulate catalyst, said reaction chamber comprising a chamber body, a chamber inlet, a chamber outlet and a retaining device for retaining the catalyst in the reaction chamber; 2) a recirculation system configured to recirculate liquid from the chamber outlet to the chamber inlet; and 3) a separator configured to separate a by-product from the liquid, wherein said separator is located upstream of the chamber inlet; (b) passing the substrate in the liquid through the reaction chamber, thereby contacting the substrate with the catalyst so as to convert at least a portion of the substrate to the product and the by-product, wherein the by-product is a poison for the catalyst; (c) removing at least a portion of the by-product from the liquid using the separator; (d) recirculating a first portion of the liquid through the reaction chamber after step (c); (e) removing a second portion of the liquid comprising the product from the reactor; and (f) isolating the product from the liquid so removed.