Claims
- 1. A process for the heterogeneous exothermic synthesis of formaldehyde in a reactor comprising a plurality of adiabatic catalytic beds connected in series, said process comprising the steps of:
- feeding gaseous reagents comprising methanol and excess oxygen to said reactor, wherein methanol fed to the synthesis reactor is distributed into a pluralit of portions, a first portion of said methanol being fed to a first catalytic bed while at least a second portion of said methanol is fed to a distinct catalytic bed disposed downstream of said first catalytic bed; and
- partially oxidizing said methanol by flowing said methanol across said adiabatic catalytic beds;
- wherein said first portion is a major portion of said methanol fed to the synthesis reactor.
- 2. A process according to claim 1, wherein said first portion is about 82% of the menthanol fed to said reactor.
- 3. A process according to claim 1, wherein said gaseous reagents flow across at least one of said catalytic beds with a substantially radial flow.
- 4. A process according to claim 3, wherein said gaseous reagents flow across at least one of said catalytic beds (11a-11e) with axial-radial flow.
- 5. A process according to claim 3, wherein said substantially radial flow is in a centripetal direction.
- 6. A process according to claim 5, further comprising the step of cooling of at least part of a hot gas flow coming from said at least one of the catalytic beds by heat exchange in a heat exchanger arranged centrally to said reactor and extending along a longitudinal axis thereof.
- 7. A process according to claim 1, wherein said oxygen fed to said synthesis reactor is distributed into at least two portions, each portion being fed to different catalytic beds.
- 8. A process according to claim 7, further comprising the step of:
- injecting into a gaseous flow coming from at least one of said catalytic beds, a gaseous or liquid flow comprising oxygen.
- 9. A process according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:
- extracting from said reactor at least part of a gas flow coming from at least one of said catalytic beds.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
1041/95 |
Apr 1995 |
CHX |
|
Parent Case Info
This is the U.S. National stage application of PCT/EP96/01517 filed Apr. 9,1996 now WO 96/32190 published Oct. 17, 1996.
PCT Information
Filing Document |
Filing Date |
Country |
Kind |
102e Date |
371c Date |
PCT/EP96/01517 |
4/9/1996 |
|
|
12/5/1997 |
12/5/1997 |
Publishing Document |
Publishing Date |
Country |
Kind |
WO96/32190 |
10/17/1996 |
|
|
US Referenced Citations (6)
Foreign Referenced Citations (4)
Number |
Date |
Country |
3318098 |
Nov 1984 |
DEX |
60-110328 |
Jun 1985 |
JPX |
2055606 |
Mar 1981 |
GBX |
2122102 |
Jan 1984 |
GBX |