sshep
Chemical
- Feb 3, 2003
- 761
Friends,
This is a duplicate post to one in the Chemical Engineering Operations forum because I got no response there. Perhaps someone in this forum has experience with MTBE production.
Thanks for any help,
sshep
----
We are operating reactors using Amberlyst 15 catalyst to react isohexene with methanol to form methyl-isohexylether. Our problems include catalyst swell that has at times deformed the reactor (bulge). It is well known that these catalysts swell up to 60% from dry state when they absorb water, and to a lesser extent with methanol and hydrocarbons, but we also experience clumping due to polymer formation which inhibits the normal growth direction (up) and increases reactor wall pressures.
Originally these reactors (liquid phase) were designed as flow up, but in the mid 1990's they were changed to flow down and a flow up pump around loop was installed to periodically (weekly) classify (fluidize) the bed. The reactors were also lengthened to hold more catalyst on the basis of using lower inlet temps to reduce side reactions and extend bed life. These changes resulted from technical exchange and recommendations from Rohm and Haas.
We may need to replace a reactor, and are looking into what changes might be applicable vs replacement in kind. As Amberlyst 15 catalyst is most often used TAME and MTBE production, I would appreciate any information (including licensor contacts) regarding the state of the art for reactor design in these applications, or reactors which use catalyst that can swell in a similar manner. As we must change catalyst frequently (approx 3 months), I am also interested in provisions to load and dump the beds more effectively.
best wishes,
sshep
This is a duplicate post to one in the Chemical Engineering Operations forum because I got no response there. Perhaps someone in this forum has experience with MTBE production.
Thanks for any help,
sshep
----
We are operating reactors using Amberlyst 15 catalyst to react isohexene with methanol to form methyl-isohexylether. Our problems include catalyst swell that has at times deformed the reactor (bulge). It is well known that these catalysts swell up to 60% from dry state when they absorb water, and to a lesser extent with methanol and hydrocarbons, but we also experience clumping due to polymer formation which inhibits the normal growth direction (up) and increases reactor wall pressures.
Originally these reactors (liquid phase) were designed as flow up, but in the mid 1990's they were changed to flow down and a flow up pump around loop was installed to periodically (weekly) classify (fluidize) the bed. The reactors were also lengthened to hold more catalyst on the basis of using lower inlet temps to reduce side reactions and extend bed life. These changes resulted from technical exchange and recommendations from Rohm and Haas.
We may need to replace a reactor, and are looking into what changes might be applicable vs replacement in kind. As Amberlyst 15 catalyst is most often used TAME and MTBE production, I would appreciate any information (including licensor contacts) regarding the state of the art for reactor design in these applications, or reactors which use catalyst that can swell in a similar manner. As we must change catalyst frequently (approx 3 months), I am also interested in provisions to load and dump the beds more effectively.
best wishes,
sshep
