Catalytic hydrogenation

Claim 1

A METHOD OF CARRYING OUT AN EXOTHERMIC REACTION IN THE PRESENCE OF PARTICLE-FORM SOLID CATALYTIC MATERIAL IN A REACTION ZONE AT A REACTION PRESSURE IN EXCESS OF 1000 P.S.I.G. BY DIRECT CONTACT BETWEEN A LIQUID AND A GASEOUS REACTANT AT A TEMPERATURE IN EXCESS OF 700* F., THE OPTIMUM REACTION TEMPERATURE FOR THE DESIRED REACTION BEING WITHIN ABOUT 25* F. OF THE TEMPERATURE AT WHICH AT LEAST ONE UNDESIRABLE REACTION OCCURS, COMPRISING PASSING BOTH THE LIQUID REACTANT AND THE GASEOUS REACTANT THROUGH AND IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH A STATIC BED OF THE AFORESAID PARTICLE-FORM SOLID CATALYTIC MATERIAL TO PRODUCE A LIQUID STATIC BED EFFLUENT, CONTROLLING THE REACTION TEMPERATURE AT SUBSTANTIALLY SAID OPTIMUM TEMPERATURE BY RECYCLING A RECYCLE PORTION OF THE AFORESAID LIQUID STATIC BED EFFLUENT IN THE RATIO OF ABOUT 5 TO ABOUT 40 VOLUMES OF THE AFORESAID LIQUID STATIC BED EFFLUENT PER VOLUME OF FRESH LIQUID REACTANT, SUPPLYING THE TOTAL ENERGY REQUIRED FOR RECYLING SAID RECYLE PORTION OF SAID LIQUID STATIC BED EFFLUENT IN ONE OF SAID REACTANTS, AND RECYCLING SAID RECYCLE PORTION OF THE AFORESAID LIQUID STATIC BED EFFLUENT ENTIRELY WITHIN THE REACTION SYSTEM AND HENCE WITHOUT SUBSTANTIAL LOSS OF HEAT FROM THE REACTION SYSTEM.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF CARRYING OUT AN EXOTHERMIC REACTION IN THE PRESENCE OF PARTICLE-FORM SOLID CATALYTIC MATERIAL IN A REACTION ZONE AT A REACTION PRESSURE IN EXCESS OF 1000 P.S.I.G. BY DIRECT CONTACT BETWEEN A LIQUID AND A GASEOUS REACTANT AT A TEMPERATURE IN EXCESS OF 700* F., THE OPTIMUM REACTION TEMPERATURE FOR THE DESIRED REACTION BEING WITHIN ABOUT 25* F. OF THE TEMPERATURE AT WHICH AT LEAST ONE UNDESIRABLE REACTION OCCURS, COMPRISING PASSING BOTH THE LIQUID REACTANT AND THE GASEOUS REACTANT THROUGH AND IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH A STATIC BED OF THE AFORESAID PARTICLE-FORM SOLID CATALYTIC MATERIAL TO PRODUCE A LIQUID STATIC BED EFFLUENT, CONTROLLING THE REACTION TEMPERATURE AT SUBSTANTIALLY SAID OPTIMUM TEMPERATURE BY RECYCLING A RECYCLE PORTION OF THE AFORESAID LIQUID STATIC BED EFFLUENT IN THE RATIO OF ABOUT 5 TO ABOUT 40 VOLUMES OF THE AFORESAID LIQUID STATIC BED EFFLUENT PER VOLUME OF FRESH LIQUID REACTANT, SUPPLYING THE TOTAL ENERGY REQUIRED FOR RECYLING SAID RECYLE PORTION OF SAID LIQUID STATIC BED EFFLUENT IN ONE OF SAID REACTANTS, AND RECYCLING SAID RECYCLE PORTION OF THE AFORESAID LIQUID STATIC BED EFFLUENT ENTIRELY WITHIN THE REACTION SYSTEM AND HENCE WITHOUT SUBSTANTIAL LOSS OF HEAT FROM THE REACTION SYSTEM.