| 主权项 |
1. A process for continuously reacting liquid alkylene oxide with a liquid substance comprising an organic compound with one or more active hydrogen atoms and a catalyst selected from alkali metal hydroxides and alkali metal alcoholates, in a reactor selected from
(a) a tubular reactor comprising at least one reaction tube providing a reaction space inside of said tube, and (b) an annular-gap reactor comprising an outer tube and an inner tube, longitudinally inserted into said outer tube, which form an annular reaction gap extending between the inner surface of the outer tube, which forms the outer boundary of the reaction gap, and the outer surface of the inner tube, which forms the inner boundary of the reaction gap, wherein (1) the supply of liquid alkylene oxide to the reactor is controlled by a single mass flow controller, the liquid alkylene oxide is fed to said reactor (a) or (b) via a single inlet socket which is connected with a source of liquid alkylene oxide via said mass flow controller and the alkylene oxide is split before entering the reaction space or gap into a first and a second part, (2) said first part of alkylene oxide enters the reaction space or gap of said reactor (a) or (b) at a first location, (3) the liquid organic substance is injected to the interior of the reaction space of said tubular reactor (a) or to the interior of the reaction gap of said annular gap reactor (b) at a second location of the reactor, located at or downstream of said first location, and is intermingled with the liquid alkylene oxide to form a liquid reaction mixture, which moves downstream towards the end of the reactor, (4) the liquid alkylene oxide enters the reactor at said first location and over the entire-cross sectional area of the reaction space or gap at said location, (5) said second part of alkylene oxide is split off at said first location and is channeled from said first location to a third location in the reaction space or gap, through a separate tube in case of a tubular reactor (a) or through a separate double tube, respectively, in case of an annular gap reactor (b), which tube or double tube is inserted into the reaction space or gap, extends from said first location to said third location of the reactor space or gap, respectively, and has a diameter being smaller than the inner diameter of said reaction tube or outer boundary of said reaction gap, thus leaving a reaction space between the outer surface of said tube or double tube, respectively, on one side, and the inner surface of the reaction tube or the outer boundary of the reaction gap, respectively, on the other side, (6) said third location is located downstream of said second location and has a distance from said second location in flow direction of the reactor charge, (7) said second part of liquid alkylene oxide enters the reaction space or gap of the reactor at said third location and is intermingled with said liquid reaction mixture and reacts with it on its way downstream towards the end of the reactor and (8) the inner pressure of the reactor is kept at a pressure level where alkylene oxide entering the reactor does not vaporize, (9) ring slit nozzles are used to inject the liquid organic substance into the interior of the reaction space of said tubular reactor (a) or to the interior of the reaction gap of said annular gap reactor (b) and to mix it with alkylene oxide, (10) the intermixture of the liquid alkylene oxide with said liquid substance is further supported by one or more static mixing element(s) located at said second location and, optionally, by one or more further static mixing element(s) located between said second location and at said third location in the reaction space or reaction gap and/or the intermixture of the liquid alkylene oxide with said the liquid reaction mixture formed between said second and third location in the reactor is further supported by one or more static mixing element(s) located at said third and/or downstream of said third location in the reaction space or reaction gap, (11) the temperature of the reaction mixture is controlled by conveying liquid tempering media of suitable temperature through two or more separate tempering jackets, which are consecutively in longitudinal direction of the reactor fitted to the reaction tube(s) of said tubular reactor (a) or to the outer and inner tube of the annular-gap reactor (b), the first one of said tempering jackets being partially or completely located at a position between said second and third location, the second one being located directly after said first tempering jacket and partially or completely after said third location and the optional further tempering jackets following consecutively after said second tempering jacket, (12) the length of the insert tube or double tube ranges from 4 to 90 percent of the total length of the reaction space or gap, (13) the reactor has a length of 5 to 20 m, (14) wherein the double tube inserted into the reaction gap of said annular-gap reactor (b) has an annular cross section, which forms the entrance of said double tube for the alkylene oxide, which is channeled through said double tube and wherein the annular cross-sectional area of the inserted double tube at said first location is 90 to 10% of the sum of (A) the cross-sectional area of the inserted double tube at said first location, (B) the annular cross sectional area (I), extending from the outer surface of said inserted double tube to the outer boundary of the reaction gap, and (C) the annular cross section (II), extending from the inner boundary of the reaction gap to the inner surface of the inserted double tube. |
