Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Kawabe
[45]
Date of Patent:
6,080,897
Jun. 27, 2000
[54]
4,556,748
4,599,467
5,508,442
[75]
Inventor:
5,763,691
Tokyo, Japan
[30]
Filed:
ABSTRACT
[JP]
[JP]
[57]
..
4/1996 Wagner
[51]
[52]
[58]
Field of Search
[56]
568/858; 549/230
References Cited
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
3,922,314
11/1975
4,160,116
7/1979
Mieno .... ..
4,283,580
4,314,945
4,400,559
8/1981
Odanaka .... ..
2/1982 McMullen
8/1983
.. 568/858
568/858
568/858
U.S. Patent
FIG. 1
FIG. 2
Jun. 27,2000
Sheet 1 of2
6,080,897
U.S. Patent
.UI
m
Jun. 27,2000
Sheet 2 of2
6,080,897
6,080,897
1
bonate.
ethylene glycol.
25
ethylene oxide.
35
and efficiently.
In addition, this reaction for producing ethylene carbonate
from ethylene oxide generates considerably large heat of
55
6,080,897
4
3
ethylene oxide from the viewpoint of safety, because its
bearing part has a rolling friction Which possibly causes
leakage of gas or combusting and explosive reactions of
ethylene oxide due to the frictional heat.
An object of the present invention is to provide a method
for carrying out the reaction for obtaining a mixture of
10
studies and found as a result of the efforts that stable 15 invention) forms a dispersion phase, namely a reactor in
Which the substrate in the gas as the dispersion phase is
reactions can be carried out by the use of a bubble column
dispersed in the continuous liquid phase, by introducing the
reactor, Without accumulation of the heat of reaction or run
gas into the reactor using a sparger arranged at the reactor
aWay reaction. The present invention has been accomplished
With regard to the method for supplying the liquid and gas
25
ing pipe (26), steam supplying pipe (27) and catalyst solu
tion circulating pipe (28).
the reactor.
60
other alkali metal salt is used, the alkali metal exists in the
form of alkali metal carbonate due to the presence of high
pressure carbon dioxide in the reaction system. When an
65
6,080,897
5
15
30
35
40
45
reactor. Also preferred is a mode in Which the raW material 50 portions in general. If desired, portions of these materials
can be fed into the second and additional bubble columns,
circulating ?oW.
60
dioxide and Water are fed into the bottom of the bubble
65
6,080,897
7
cooled and fed into the bottom of the ?rst bubble column by
compressing it With a compressor. In order to prevent
accumulation of volatile impurities, it is desirable to alloW
a part of the gas phase to be purged from the system. The
supplied.
and the gas phase can be taken out separately from the ?nal
bubble column, the liquid phase thus taken out can be fed
10
its distillation.
25
EXAMPLES
30
35
40
Was fed into the reactor. The catalyst and other materials
than carbon dioxide Were directly fed into the reactor from
the line 3. Apart of the reaction solution Was taken out from
a side of the toWer top, fed into the heat exchanger 4 to
remove heat of reaction and then recycled into the reactor 1
65
6,080,897
9
10
Was about 95% in the ?rst bubble column and about 99.5%
at the outlet of the second bubble colurnn. Concentration of
ethylene oxide in the reaction solution at the outlet of the
pipe type reactor Was about 70 ppm.
The reaction solution discharged from the tublar reactor
EXAMPLE 2
15
20
bottorn While distilling off Water from the top. The dehy
drated reaction solution discharged from the toWer bottom
30
EXAMPLE 3
grade standard.
COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE 1
iodide Was fed as the catalyst into the reactor at a rate of 4.5
kg/H. The test Was carried out at a temperature of 150 C.
the ?rst bubble column was fed into the bottom of the second
charged frorn the head of the second bubble column was fed
55
COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE 2
6,080,897
11
12
of the reactor, and the raW material gas is fed into the reactor
10
fed into the bottom of the ?rst bubble column, and the
comprises:
15
bubble column;
(2) in the second and any suceeding bubble columns, the
ethylene carbonate;
verted into an ethylene glycol aqueous solution by
hydrolyZing ethylene carbonate in the reaction solu
tion; and
a distillation step in Which puri?ed ethylene glycol and a
catalyst solution containing the carbonation catalyst are
obtained from the ethylene glycol aqueous solution by
20
into the plug ?oW reactor, or the liquid phase and gas
30
40
distillation,