Thermosyphonic reaction of propylene with tertiary butyl hydroperoxide and reactor

摘要

A method and apparatus for continuously catalytically exothermally reacting propylene with tertiary butyl hydroperoxide in a reaction mixture stream comprising a tertiary butyl alcohol solution of catalyst, reacting propylene, reacting tertiary butyl hydroperoxide, propylene oxide and reaction by-products by thermosyphonically circulating the reaction mixture stream around a thermosyphonic reactor loop; continuously removing heat from the circulating stream in a downflow heat exchange zone in the reactor and continuously passing the circulating stream of reaction mixture through an adiabatic zone such as an upflow reaction zone of progressively increasing temperature while withdrawing or displacing a product stream in an amount sufficient to maintain a predetermined volume of reaction mixture in the reactor and whereby the density of the reaction mixture in the heat exchange zone will be greater than the density of the reaction mixture in the adiabatic zone whereby continuous thermosyphonic circulation can be maintained.