Claims
- 1. A process for converting at least one photochemically reactive chemical reactant to photochemical reaction products utilizing radiation of wavelength from about 100 to about 750 nm, which comprises:
- providing a carrier which is substantially inert to the chemical reactant and the photochemical reaction products;
- applying said at least one reactant to the carrier and supporting it thereon or therein;
- floating said carrier supporting said at least one reactant on a liquid medium in which the carrier is substantially insoluble and inert;
- covering the carrier while floating on the medium with a film of substantially gas impermeable, solar radiation permeable material and by exposing the covered carrier-supported reactant or reactants to radiation of wavelength from about 100 to about 750 nm while the carrier floats on the liquid medium; and
- recovering from the inert carrier photochemical reaction products obtained from said reactant or reactants.
- 2. The process of claim 1 wherein the liquid medium is an aqueous medium.
- 3. The process of claim 2 wherein the radiation is solar radiation.
- 4. The process of claim 3 wherein said inert carrier is a water buoyant bead comprising a substantially water insoluble, UV-stable polymer, said reactant being supported on the carrier by impregnating the polymer with the reactant.
- 5. The process of claim 1 in whicn gaseous reactant for photochemical reaction with said reactant applied to the carrir is retained below said film.
- 6. The process of claim 1 in which a gaseous blanket of inert gas or gases is retained below said film.
- 7. The process of claim 6 wherein the chemical reactant is anthraquinone.
- 8. The process of claim 2 wherein the supporting aqueous medium contributes a reactant to the photochemical reactions.
- 9. The process of claim 1 wherein the chemical reactant is an internally-unsaturated olefin.
- 10. The process of claim 9 wherein the olefin is squalene.
- 11. A process for converting at least one photochemically reactive chemical reactant to photochemical reaction products utilizing radiation of wavelength from about 100 to about 750 nm which comprises:
- providing a particulate, discrete-moduled carrier which is substantially inert to the chemical reactant and the photochemical reaction products;
- applying said at least one reactant to the carrier and supporting it thereon or therein;
- distributing the carrier supporting said at least one reactant as a monolayer of carrier modules;
- exposing the carrier-supported reactant, while the carrier is distributed as a monolayer to direct radiation of said wavelength from about 100 to about 750 nm so as to cause photochemical reaction of said reactant to form a product; and
- recovering the product so formed from the inert carrier modules.
- 12. The process of claim 11 wherein the carrier is distributed as a monolayer by floatation thereof on a body of liquid to which the carrier is inert.
- 13. The process of claim 12 wherein the body of liquid is aqueous.
- 14. The process of claim 13 wherein the carrier modules float on top of the body of aqueous liquid.
- 15. The process of claim 14 wherein the radiation is direct solar radiation.
- 16. The process of claim 11 wherein the carrier is distributed as a monolayer by spreading over a shallow pan surface.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 442,181 filed Nov. 16, 1982, and now U.S. Pat. No. 4,525,255.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
105625 |
Aug 1980 |
JPX |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
442181 |
Nov 1982 |
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