Process using microchannel technology for conducting alkylation or acylation reaction

摘要

The disclosed invention relates to a process, comprising: flowing a first reactant feed stream comprising a reactant substrate and a second reactant feed stream comprising an alkylating agent, an acylating agent or a mixture thereof, in a process microchannel in contact with each other to form a product comprising at least one alkylation product, at least one acylation product, or a mixture thereof; transferring heat from the process microchannel to a heat sink; and removing the product from the process microchannel.

主权项

1. A process for conducting an alkylation or acylation reaction in a microchannel reactor, the microchannel reactor comprising a microchannel reactor core comprising a plurality of process microchannels and a feed stream header for distributing a reactant mixture to the process microchannels, the feed stream header comprising a first reactant zone, a second reactant zone, and an apertured section positioned between the first reactant zone and the second reactant zone, the process comprising:
flowing a first reactant feed stream into the first reactant zone, flowing a second reactant feed stream through the second reactant zone and the apertured section into the first reactant zone where it is mixed with the first reactant feed stream to form a reactant mixture, the reactant mixture comprising a dispersed phase of the second reactant feed stream and a continuous phase of the first reactant feed stream, the dispersed phase being in the form of gas bubbles and/or liquid droplets dispersed in the continuous phase, the reactant mixture comprising a reactant substrate, and an alkylating agent, an acylating agent or a mixture thereof, and flowing the reactant mixture from the feed stream header into the process microchannels, and reacting the reactant substrate with the alkylating agent, acylating agent, or mixture thereof in the presence of a catalyst in the process microchannels at a temperature in the range from about 100° C. to about 500° C. to form a product comprising at least one alkylation product, at least one acylation product, or a mixture thereof, the weight hourly space velocity for the flow of reactants in the microchannel reactor core being at least about 100 milliliters of feed per gram of catalyst per hour; transferring heat from the process microchannels to a heat sink; and removing the product from the process microchannels.