Increasing of of production purity when using RSPs (on the example of 1.4 - dioxane production).

 

Results of kinetics studies and their use for one of the most significant RSPs are illustrating considered approach to raising ecological efficiency a chemist-technological objects.

1.4 - dioxane syntheses by dehydration of diethylene glycol (DEG)  is one of the most representative objects for demonstrations of bubble RSP influence on chemical process. On its mechanism this reaction is similar reactions an alcohol dehydration and can be realized by warming diethylene glycol (DEG) up 130 to 170 °C in presence of different catalysts, for instance, strong mineral acids.

 

When these reactions are realized both in laboratory and in industrial conditions significant asphaltization is observed because of main reaction product 1.4 - dioxane polymerization. Studies have shown that diethylene glycol at conditions of reactions is not polymerizated. Asphaltization brings to essential reducing a target product (before 30% in industrial conditions). It's necessary to unload the resin from the reactor occasionally and to burn it on special operating platforms that greatly pollutes a surrounding because of black smoke formation, containing not only smut and carbon compounds, as well as sulfur-containing matters (resin is kept considerable proportion of perfecting catalyst - a sulfuric acid).

 

For increase of 1.4 - dioxane manufacture cleanliness the above-stated algorithm was used. The system analysis has shown, that ecologization of this object by improvement of quality of burning of the resin results in significant complication and rise in price of manufacture. It was not possible to utilize the resin with the rest of perfecting catalyst - a sulfuric acid.

 

The maximal success expected the experts at a molecular stage. It was necessary to regulate the  speeds of two parallel-proceeding reactions - dehydration of diethylene glycol (DEG)  and 1.4 - dioxane  polymerization. The influence of a sulfuric acid as catalyst on both processes is well known. It was necessary to find conditions of the first reaction acceleration and to absence of the second process. Only possible variant has appeared transformation homogeneous liquid process, where both reactions went in a liquid phase, to bubble heterogeneous process, at which the basic reaction, as well as in initial process, was carried out in a liquid phase, but the products of reaction were removed in a gas phase (in bubbles) at the moment of their formation by including in liquid of the gas desorptive agent and by imposing of high-speed bubble process. As the catalyst - sulfuric acid is practically non- volatile component of system, in gas phase there were no conditions for  1.4 - dioxane  polymerization process.

 

In connection with  the initial product in conditions of reaction is practically nonvolatile ones, the considered reaction represents not only practical interest, but also it is interesting by way of definition of influence of speed of reaction products removal on kinetics of the combined RSP. In the quality  the desorptive agent we used the nitrogen, and also benzol, forming binary azeotropic solutions with products of reaction and three components azeotropic solution: benzol – 1.4-dioxane - water.

 

The kinetics research in capacitor laboratory reactor with both mixer and bubblier for desorption agent submission was carried out at constant sulfuric acid concentration (catalyst) equal 5 % from DEG weight, in an interval of temperatures 130-1750C. For the not combined process (without desorption agent submission) in periodic action reactor are received kinetics dependencies, which processing testifies to the first reaction order and gives meaning of a reaction rate constant:  K0 == 3,2 . 10-3 min-1 (at temperature 1500C).

   

The researches for a quantitative estimation of influence of nitrogen or benzol input, bubbled under a DEG layer,  were carried out in RIM. Is established, that the benzol vapour  input as desorption  agent increases in 1,5-6 times a speed of reaction of 1,4-dioxane synthesis. The dependence of an observable constant of speed of chemical reaction on the vapour benzol  rate   and results of laboratory researches can be presented as:

 

K0 = (1,05 + 0,65 . 105Gd) exp (6,9 - 1093,3/T),                   (19)

 

where Gd- the desorption agent – benzol rate, kg/sec (submitted in 100 ml volume reactor);

T - temperature.

 

Heterogeneous factor in a considered case depends from Gd as follows:

c =  1,0 + 0,62 . 105 Gd                             ( 20)

 

It is necessary to notice, that last dependencies keep linear character not in all range of change Gd, and at rather high meanings Gd it is necessary to expect reduction K0 and c.

 

The research of process in periodic action reactor is complicated in connection with necessity of creation of rather intensive mode of mixing and products removal from a zone of chemical reaction. Besides on a products desorption measure the concentration of the catalyst in system grows, that results in resinification increase. Therefore kinetic of process researches was carried out also with laboratory installation of continuous action including temperature-controlled reactor of the flowing type executed as a bubble glass column in height 0,15 m and diameter 0,05 m with a mechanical mixing  and a fixed overflow level.

The initial mix consisting from DEG and the catalyst H2SO4, continuously acted in reactor on  screen plate and was kept in it by an ascending flow of the desorption agent - nitrogen. The reacted mass through overflow was removed in the measuring vessel.  

 

DSc., Prof. William Zadorsky,
Academician of the Ukrainian Ecological Academy, 
Ukrainian State University of Chemical Engineering.
Pridneprovie Cleaner Production Center
Tel: +(380) 567 440210
Tel/fax: +(380) 562 470813

     e-mail: william@zadorsky.com
                technobiz@dicht.dp.ua

    http://www.crosswinds.net/~usuce/index.html
    http://www.incubator.f2s.com
    http://zadorsky.com