Process and apparatus for producing monovinyl acetylene

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF PREPARING MONOVINYL ACETYLENE FROM ACETYLENE WHICH COMPRISES PASSING HUMIDIFIED ACETYLENE UPWARDLY THROUGH A SERIES OF FROM 2 TO 15 COMMUNICATING REACTION ZONES SEPARATED BY PERFORATED PLATES, THE PERFORATIONS REPRESENTING FROM 2% TO 6% OF THE ENTIRE AREA OF THE PLATE, MAINTAINING A PRESSURE OF BETWEEN 10 AND 100 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH (GAUGE) ON THE ACETYLENE BEING FED INTO THE BOTTOM OF THE REACTOR, MAINTAINING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE COLUMN AT ABOUT 60* TO 75* C., PASSING AN AQUEOUS ACIDIFIED SOLUTION OF CUPROUS CHLORIDE AS A CATALYST DOWNWARDLY THROUGH THE REACTION COLUMN AND MAINTAINING A BODY OF CATALYST SOLUTION ABOVE EACH OF THE SAID PERFORATED PALTES TO THE EXTENT OF ABOUT 80% TO 100% OF THE DISTANCE BETWEEN EACH PLATE AND THE NEXT ABOVE IT, RECYCLING THECATALYST SOLUTION FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE COLUMN TO THE TOP OF THE COLUMN, AND COLLECTING THE GASEOUS MONOVINYL ACETYLENE CONTINUOUSLY AS IT RISES TO THE TOP OF THE COLUMN.

Claim 3

AN APPARATUS FOR CARRYING OUT CHEMICAL REACTIONS OF THE GAS-LIQUID CONTACT TYPE WHICH COMPRISES A VERTICAL COLUMN HAVING A PLURALITY OF REACTION ZONES THEREIN SEPARATED BY PERFORATING PLATES THE PERFORATIONS THEREOF REPRESENTING FROM 2% TO 6% OF THE AREA OF THE PLATE, MEANS FOR PASSING THE GASEOUS REACTANT INTO THE BOTTOM OF THE COLUMN, MEANS FOR PASSING THE LIQUID PHASE DOWNWARDLY FROM THE TOP OF THE COLUMN, MEANS FOR CIRCULATING THE LIQUID WHICH COLLECTS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE COLUMN BACK TO THE TOP OF THE COLUMN, EACH OF THE REACTION ZONES BETWEEN THE SAID PERFORATED PLATES BEING PROVIDED WITH A DOWNCOMER WHICH EXTENDS FROM NEAR THE BOTTOM OF EACH OF THE REACTION ZONES INTO THE NEXT ZONE ABOVE IT, WHEREBY THE LIQUID PHASE FILLS FROM 80% TO 100% OF THE VOLUME BETWEEN THE PLATES, SAID ZONES BETWEEN THE PERFORATED PLATES BEING PROVIDED WITH A COOLING MEANS, AND MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING THE REACTION PRODUCT AT THE TOP OF THE COLUMN.

Claim 4

AN APPARATUS FOR CARRYING OUT CHEMICAL REACTIONS OF THE GAS-LIQUID CONTACT TYPE WHICH COMPRISES A VERTICAL COLUMN HAVING A PLURALITY OF REACTION ZONES THEREIN SEPARATED BY PERFORATING PLATES THE PERFORATIONS THEREOF REPRESENTING FROM 2% TO 6% OF THE AREA OF THE PLATE, MEANS FOR PASSING THE GASEOUS REACTANT INTO THE BOTTOM OF THE COLUMN, MEANS FOR PASSING THE LIQUID PHASE DOWNWARDLY FROM THE TOP OF THE COLUMN, MEANS FOR CIRCULATING THE LIQUID WHICH COLLECTS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE COLUMN BACK TO THE TOP OF THE COLUMN, EACH OF THE REACTION ZONES BETWEEN THE SAID PERFORATED PLATES BEING PROVIDED WITH A DOWNCOMER WHICH EXTENDS FROM NEAR THE BOTTOM OF EACH OF THE REACTION ZONES INTO THE NEXT ZONE ABOVE IT, WHEREBY THE LIQUID PHASE FILLS FROM 80% TO 100% OF THE VOLUME BETWEEN THE PLATES, SAID ZONES BETWEEN THE PERFORATED PLATES BEING PROVIDED WITH A COOLING MEANS, AND MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING THE REACTION PRODUCT AT THE TOP OF THE COLUMN.