Production of acrolein, useful as intermediate for glutardialdehyde, methionine, folic acid and acrylic acid, by catalytic oxidation of propene uses 2 consecutive reactors operating outside explosion range

摘要

A mixture containing propene and oxygen (O2) is passed at elevated temperature through: (i) a zone containing a first catalyst in the solid aggregate state to oxidize part of the propene to acrolein at a propene/O2 molar ratio of over 1 and (ii) other zone(s) with solid catalyst, with addition of O2, so that >= 90 mole-% of the propene reacts with /- 80 mole-% selectivity to acrolein. In the production of acrolein by gas phase partial oxidation of propene with oxygen (O2) over a heterogeneous catalyst in the solid aggregate state: (i) a mixture containing propene and O2 in over 1:1 molar ratio is passed at elevated temperature through a first reaction zone containing a first catalyst in the solid aggregate state to oxidize part of the propene to acrolein, then (ii) the reaction mixture is passed at elevated temperature through other reaction zone(s) with a solid catalyst charge, with addition of (gas containing) O2 in at least one of the later zones to increase the O2/propene molar ratio, so that >= 90 mole-% of the propene fed to zone I reacts with /- 80 mole-% selectivity to acrolein. Independent claims are also included for (a) the production of acrylic acid from propene, including this process; (b) apparatus for the gas phase oxidation of propene to acrolein; (c) apparatus for the gas phase oxidation of propene to acrolein and then of acrolein to acrylic acid.