Process for fluidized contact

Claim 2

A process for fluidized contact by contacting a liquid intimately with solid particles in a contacting vessel, which comprises forming a porous packed bed in at least a part of a contact zone of said contacting vessel by filling the contact zone with a porous packing, accommodating the solid particles in the lower part of the contact zone, introducing the liquid from the bottom of the contacting vessel to form a fluidized layer of solid particles within the contact zone, the upper end of the layer of the solid particles expanded by the fluidization being located within the porous packed bed, and withdrawing the liquid which has made contact from the upper part of the contacting vessel, said contact being performed under the following conditions: (1) the ratio of superficial volume occupied by the porous packed bed to real volume of the porous packing is at least 1.3, (2) the ratio of the average pore diameter of the pores of the porous packing to the average particle diameter of the solid particles is 1.1 to 10.0, (3) L 2 /L = 0.3 - 0.9 wherein L is the length of the contact zone extending from the bottom of the fluidized layer of solid particles to the top of the porous packed bed, and L 2 is the height of the fluidized layer of solid particles when they are in fluidization, and (4) U fl <U l <12.0 (cm/sec.) wherein U l is the superficial liquid velocity in the contact zone based on the empty cross-section of the contacting vessel and U fl is the minimum fluidization velocity of solid particles caused by the liquid.

Claim 3

The process of claim 1 wherein said porous packed bed is formed in substantially the whole of said contact zone.

Claim 4

The process of claim 1 wherein said porous packed bed is formed only in the upper part of said contact zone, and the ratio of the length of the contact zone to that of the porous packed bed is within the range of 1.5 to 5.0.

Claim 5

The process of claim 1 wherein said solid particles have an average particle diameter of 0.1 to 20.0 mm.

Claim 6

The process of claim 1 wherein the following conditions are satisfied: L.sub.1 /L = 0.10 - 0.70 l.sub.2 /l.sub.1 = 1.1 - 4.0 wherein L is the length of the contact zone, L 1 is the height of the solid particle layer in the stationary state, and L 2 is the height of the fluidized layer when the solid particles are in the fluidized state.

Claim 7

A process for fluidized contact by contacting a mixture of a liquid and a gas intimately with solid particles in a contacting vessel, which comprises forming a porous packed bed in at least a part of a contact zone of said contacting vessel by filling the contact zone with a porous packing, accommodating the solid particles in the lower part of the contact zone, introducing the liquid and gas from the bottom of the contacting vessel to form a fluidized layer of solid particles within the contact zone, the fluidization of the solid particles being caused by the liquid, said gas being in the form of fine bubbles uniformly dispersed in the contact zone, the upper end of the layer of the solid particles expanded by the fluidization being located within the porous packed bed, and withdrawing the liquid and gas which have made contact from the upper part of the contacting vessel, said contact being performed under the following conditions: (1) the ratio of the superficial volume occupied by the porous packed bed to real volume of the porous packing is at least 1.3, (2) the ratio of the average pore diameter of the pores of the porous packing to the average particle diameter of the solid particles is 1.1 to 10.0, (3) L 2 /L = 0.3 - 0.9 wherein L is the length of the contact zone from the bottom of the fluidized layer of solid particles to the top of the porous packed bed, and L 2 is the height of the fluidized layer of solid particles when they are in fluidization, and (4) U fl <U l <12.0 (cm/sec.) O<U g <8.0 (cm/sec.) wherein U l is the superficial liquid velocity in the contact zone based on the empty cross-section of the contacting vessel, U g is the superficial gas velocity in the contact zone based on the empty cross-section of the contacting vessel, and U fl is the minimum fluidization velocity of solid particles caused by the liquid.

Claim 8

A process for fluidized contact by contacting a mixture of a liquid and a gas intimately with solid particles in a contacting vessel, which comprises forming a porous packed bed in at least a part of a contact zone of said contacting vessel by filling the contact zone with a porous packing, accommodating the solid particles in the lower part of the contact zone, introducing the liquid and gas from the bottom of the contacting vessel to form a fluidized layer of solid particles within the contact zone, the fluidization of the solid particles being caused by the liquid, said gas being in the form of fine bubbles uniformly dispersed in the contact zone, the upper end of the layer of the solid particles expanded by the fluidization being located within the porous packed bed, and withdrawing the liquid and gas which have made contact from the upper part of the contacting vessel, said contact being performed under the following conditions: (1) the ratio of the superficial volume occupied by the porous packed bed to real volume of the porous packing is at least 1.3, (2) the ratio of the average pore diameter of the pores of the porous packing to the average particle diameter of the solid particles is 1.1 to 10.0, (3) L 2 /L = 0.3 - 0.9 wherein L is the length of the contact zone from the bottom of the fluidized layer of solid particles to the top of the porous packed bed, and L 2 is the height of the fluidized layer of solid particles when they are in fluidization, and (4) U fl <U l <12.0 (cm/sec.) O<U g <8.0 (cm/sec.) wherein U l is the superficial liquid velocity in the contact zone based on the empty cross-section of the contacting vessel, U g is the superficial gas velocity in the contact zone based on the empty cross-section of the contacting vessel, and U fl is the minimum fluidization velocity of solid particles caused by the liquid.

Claim 9

The process of claim 6 wherein said porous packed bed is formed in substantially the whole of said contact zone.

Claim 10

The process of claim 6 wherein said porous packed bed is formed only in the upper part of said contact zone, and the ratio of the length of the contact zone to that of the porous packed bed is within the range of 1.5 to 5.0.

Claim 11

The process of claim 6 wherein said solid particles have an average particle diameter of 0.1 to 20.0 mm.

Claim 12

The process of claim 6 wherein the following conditions are satisfied: L.sub.1 /L = 0.10 - 0.70 l.sub.2 /l.sub.1 = 1.1 - 4.0 wherein L is the length of the contact zone, L 1 is the height of the solid particle layer in the stationary state, and L 2 is the height of the fluidized layer when the solid particles are in the fluidized state.