US 11,851,400 B2
Intensified process of synthesis of dialkyl ethers using a step conical reactor
Thirumalaiswamy Raja, Pune (IN); Vipul Subhash Patil, Pune (IN); Siva Prasad Mekla, Pune (IN); Snehal Narayan Teli, Pune (IN); Kiran Chandrashekhar Chavhan, Pune (IN); and Akash Ravindra Bhatkar, Pune (IN)
Assigned to Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi (IN)
Appl. No. 17/614,965
Filed by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi (IN)
PCT Filed May 27, 2020, PCT No. PCT/IN2020/050476
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Nov. 29, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/240591, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 3, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 201911020867 (IN), filed on May 27, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0234978 A1, Jul. 28, 2022
Int. Cl. C07C 41/09 (2006.01); B01D 3/34 (2006.01); B01D 3/00 (2006.01); C07C 41/42 (2006.01)
CPC C07C 41/09 (2013.01) [B01D 3/009 (2013.01); B01D 3/346 (2013.01); C07C 41/42 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
3. A reactor system for preparation of dialkyl ether, the reactor system comprising:
a step conical fixed bed reactor divided into an upper section and a lower section by a perforated screen, wherein the perforated screen is configured for supporting a catalyst and wherein the upper section and the lower section have varying steps diameter adapted to provide a surface area for contact of the catalyst with a fresh incoming feed;
a phase separator connected to the step conical fixed bed reactor through a heat exchanger, wherein the phase separator is configured to remove an output stream of an unreacted reactant and a by-product by keeping a temperature of 120° C. at a bottom of the phase separator using the heat exchanger, wherein the unreacted reactant comprises an alcohol and the by-product comprises water;
a reactive distillation column adapted to distill the unreacted reactant and the by-product to separate the unreacted reactant as a vapour;
a reflux inlet adapted to further purify the unreacted reactant by refluxing a fresh alcohol; and
a polishing catalyst zone adapted to react with a vapour phase of the alcohol from the reactive distillation column to form dialkyle ether and water.