Recirculating apparatus for continuous esterification reactions

Claim 1

A CHEMICAL PROCESS APPARATUS, WHICH IS SELF-STIRRING AND PROVIDES VIGOROUS AGITIOATION OF REACTING MATERIALS WITHOUT THE USE OF MECHANICAL STIRRRING OR PUMPING, COMPRISING AN ESTERIFICATION VESSEL FOR ESTERIFICATION LIQUID , A HEAT EXCHANGER FOR HEATING THE LIQUID TO A TEMPERATURE OF 250* TO 400*C. LOCATED EXTERNALLY OF SAID ESTERFICATION VESSEL, A CONDUIT LOOP FOR CONDUCTING LIQUID WITHOUT THE USE OF A PUMP DOWNWARD FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE VESSEL AND THEN UPWARD INTO THE HEAT EXCHANGER THROUGH A LOWER FLUID INLET, MEANS FOR INJECTING REACTANT FEED MIXTURE INTO THE LOWER FLUID INLET OF THE HEAT EXCHANGER AT A LEVEL AT LEAST 3 FEET ABOVE THE LOWEST POINT OF THE CONDUIT LOOP, MEANS FOR CONDUCTING HEATED FLUID FROM THE HEAT EXCHANGER THROUGH AN UPPER FLUID OUTLET AND INTO A VESSEL THROUGH AN INLET IN THE SIDE OF THE VESSEL, MEANS IN THE UPPER PART OF THE VESSEL FOR WITHDRAWING VAPORS, AND OVERFLOW MEANS IN THE VESSEL FOR WITHDRAWING ESTERIFICATION PRODUCT AT A RATE WHICH MAINTAINS A CONSTANT LIQUID LEVEL WITHIN THE VESSEL, SAID OVERFLOW MEANS BEING LOCATED WITHIN SAID VESSEL AT SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME HEIGHT AS SAID INLET IN THE SIDE OF SAID VESSEL, THEREBY ENSURING SUFFICIENT LIQUID HEAD WITHIN SAID VESSEL TO MAINTAIN FLOW IN SAID CONDUIT LOOP.