Claims
- 1. A process comprising the steps of
- directing a mixture of air and n-butane over a plurality of pairs of vertically extending vapor permeable walls disposed in spaced pairs to form flow channels between said pairs and having a catalyst disposed between each pair of walls within a catalyst reaction column;
- directing a flowable heat-removing medium in heat exchange relation with the mixture of air and n-butane to effect a catalytic reaction of the mixture into gaseous maleic anhydride; and
- removing the gaseous maleic anhydride as a product.
- 2. A process as set forth in claim 1 wherein said flowable medium is molten salt.
- 3. A process as set forth in claim 1 wherein the catalyst includes phosphorus pentoxide and vanadium pentoxide.
- 4. A catalytic process comprising the steps of directing a heated mixture of air and n-butane into end through at least one tube having at least one catalytic device therein formed of a plurality of pairs of vertically extending vapor permeable walls defining flow channels between said pairs of walls and having a catalyst disposed between each pair of walls.
- directing a heat exchange medium over said tube while effecting an exothermic catalytic reaction of the mixture therein into gaseous maleic anhydride; and
- removing the gaseous maleic anhydride from the tube.
- 5. A catalytic process as set forth in claim 4 wherein a corrugated guide element is disposed in each flow channel to effect a lateral mixing of the mixture of air and n-butane passing therethrough.
- 6. A catalytic process as set forth in claim 4 wherein each wall is corrugated.
Priority Claims (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
93285/88 |
Sep 1988 |
CHX |
|
00577/89 |
Feb 1989 |
CHX |
|
Parent Case Info
This is a division of application Ser. No. 499,367 filed May 31, 1990 filed as PCT/CH89/00150, Aug. 22, 1989.
US Referenced Citations (9)
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
499367 |
May 1990 |
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