Method of effecting exothermic catalytic reactions

Claim 2

A PROCESS FOR CONVERTING REACTANT GASES IN AN EXCESS OTHERMIC TYPE OF REACTION, IN THE PRESENCE OF A CATALYST TO THE CORRESPONDING ADDITION PRODUCT WHICH COMPRISES INTRODUCING A FEED OF REACTANT GASES IN TO A CONVERTER CONTAINING A PLURALITY OF CATALYST BEDS, PASSING THE GASES SUCCESSIVELY THROUGH EACH OF THE CATALYST BEDS UNDER REACTION CONDITIONS, PERMITTING THE TEMPERATURE IN EACH CATALYST BED TO APPROACH THE EQUILIBRIUM TEMPERATURE OF THE REACTION, WITHDRAWING THE GASES FROM EACH OF SAID CATALYST BEDS WITHIN THE REACTOR BEFORE THE EQUILIBRIUM TEMPERATURE AND THE CATALYST DECOMPOSITION TEMPERATURE IS ATTAINED AND COOLING THE GASES BETWEEN CATALYST BEDS BY DIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE WITH A QUENCH MATERIAL CONTAINING AT LEAST 3.5 PERCENT BY VOLUME OF THE ADDITION PRODUCT OF THE REACTION AND CONTAINING AT LEAST 1 PERCENT ADDITION PRODUCT IN EXCESS OF THAT PRESENT IN THE FEED WHEREBY THE TEMPERATURE OF THE REACTION IN THE CONVERTER IS MAINTAINED AT ALL TIMES BELOW THE EQUILIBRIUM TEMPERATURE OF THE REACTION AND BELOW THE TEMPERATURE AT WHICH CATALYST DECOMPOSITION OCCURS.

Claim 3

A PROCESS FOR CONVERTING REACTANT GASES CONTAINING HYDROGEN AND NITROGEN TO AMMONIA IN AN EXOTHERMIC TYPE OF REACTION IN THE PRESENCE OF AN INORGANIC METAL CATALYST AT A TEMPERATURE OF AT LEAST 300*C. AND BELOW THE CATALYST DECOMPOSITION TEMPERATURE AND THE EQUILIBRIUM TEMPERATURE OF THE REACTION, WHICH COMPRISES INTRODUCING A FEED OF REACTANT GASES INTO A CONVERTER CONTAINING CATALYST ARRANGED IN A PLURALITY OF BEDS, PASSING THE GASES SUCCESSIVELY THROUGH EACH OF THE CATALYST BEDS, PERMITTING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE GASES IN EACH CATALYST BED TO RISE, WITHDRAWING THE EFFLUENT GASES FROM EACH OF SAID CATALYST BEDS WITHIN THE REACTOR BEFORE THE CATALYST DECOMPOSITION TEMPERATURE AND THE EQUILIBRIUM TEMPERATURE OF THE REACTION IS ATTAINED, AND COOLING THE EFFLUENT GASES BETWEEN CATALYST BEDS TO A TEMPERATURE OF AT LEAST 50*C. BELOW THE TEMPERATURE OF THE EFFLUENT GASES TO BE QUENCHED BY DIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE WITH A COOLED QUENCH MATERIAL CONTAINING AT LEAST 1 PERCENT AMMONIA IN EXCESS OF THAT PRESENT IN THE FEED AND CONTAINING BETWEEN ABOUT 3.5 PERCENT BY VOLUME AND AN AMOUNT ABOUT EQUAL TO THE CONCENTRATION OF AMMONIA IN THE EFFLUENT TO BE QUENCHED WHEREBY THE TEMPERATURE OF THE REACTION IN THE CONVERTER IS MAINTAINED AT ALL TIMES BELOW THE TEMPERATURE AT WHICH CATALYST DECOMPOSITION OCCURS, AND BELOW THE TEMPERATURE AT WHICH THE REACTION ATTAINS A STATE OF EQUILIBRIUM.

Claim 4

A PROCESS FOR CONVERTING REACTANT GASES CONTAINING HYDROGEN AND NITROGEN TO AMMONIA IN AN EXOTHERMIC TYPE OF REACTION IN THE PRESENCE OF AN INORGANIC METAL CATALYST AT A TEMPERATURE OF AT LEAST 300*C. AND BELOW THE CATALYST DECOMPOSITION TEMPERATURE AND THE EQUILIBRIUM TEMPERATURE OF THE REACTION, WHICH COMPRISES INTRODUCING A FEED OF REACTANT GASES INTO A CONVERTER CONTAINING CATALYST ARRANGED IN A PLURALITY OF BEDS, PASSING THE GASES SUCCESSIVELY THROUGH EACH OF THE CATALYST BEDS, PERMITTING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE GASES IN EACH CATALYST BED TO RISE, WITHDRAWING THE EFFLUENT GASES FROM EACH OF SAID CATALYST BEDS WITHIN THE REACTOR BEFORE THE CATALYST DECOMPOSITION TEMPERATURE AND THE EQUILIBRIUM TEMPERATURE OF THE REACTION IS ATTAINED, AND COOLING THE EFFLUENT GASES BETWEEN CATALYST BEDS TO A TEMPERATURE OF AT LEAST 50*C. BELOW THE TEMPERATURE OF THE EFFLUENT GASES TO BE QUENCHED BY DIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE WITH A COOLED QUENCH MATERIAL CONTAINING AT LEAST 1 PERCENT AMMONIA IN EXCESS OF THAT PRESENT IN THE FEED AND CONTAINING BETWEEN ABOUT 3.5 PERCENT BY VOLUME AND AN AMOUNT ABOUT EQUAL TO THE CONCENTRATION OF AMMONIA IN THE EFFLUENT TO BE QUENCHED WHEREBY THE TEMPERATURE OF THE REACTION IN THE CONVERTER IS MAINTAINED AT ALL TIMES BELOW THE TEMPERATURE AT WHICH CATALYST DECOMPOSITION OCCURS, AND BELOW THE TEMPERATURE AT WHICH THE REACTION ATTAINS A STATE OF EQUILIBRIUM.