Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
57 words
A process for nitrating a gaseous mixture of saturated hydrocarbons of less than five carbon atoms, in an enclosure comprising the steps of: conducting a heat-carrying fluid of high heat-exchange capacity through said enclosure; distributing said mixture homogeneously to a tube bank disposed in contact with said heat-carrying fluid; and conducting said mixture through said tube bank.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
57 words
A process for nitrating a gaseous mixture of saturated hydrocarbons of less than five carbon atoms, in an enclosure comprising the steps of: conducting a heat-carrying fluid of high heat-exchange capacity through said enclosure; distributing said mixture homogeneously to a tube bank disposed in contact with said heat-carrying fluid; and conducting said mixture through said tube bank.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
A process of claim 1 wherein said step of distributing comprises successively accelerating and decelerating said mixture prior to its introduction into said tube bank.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
The process of claim 2 wherein said step of decelerating comprises conducting said mixture in a direction normal to the direction of flow of said mixture through said tube bank.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
46 words
The process of claim 1 wherein said saturated hydrocarbons include recycling products, adjuvants and inert gases, and said step of conducting said mixture includes conducting said mixture through said tube bank in a direction opposite to the direction of flow of said fluid through said enclosure.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
35 words
The process of claim 1 comprising the further step of maintaining the difference in temperature between the warmest point of the tube bank and the coldest point of the tube bank constant at 25° C.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
40 words
The process of claim 1 wherein said step of distributing comprises retaining said mixture for a maximum of 0.5 seconds, and maintaining the velocity of said mixture between 3 and 50 meters per second, in said first and second means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
28 words
The process of claim 5 wherein the step of maintaining comprises providing segmented compartments within said enclosure and spacing said compartments irregularly along the length of the bank.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
25 words
The process of claim 7 wherein the step of spacing comprises minimizing the distance separating adjacent compartments in the central portion of the tube bank.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
63 words
The process of claim 5 wherein said step of maintaining further comprises choosing the parameters Q,S,U and Q' such that (Q/SU) is between 20° C. and 120° C. (Q/SU) is between 25° C. and 160° C. and U is between ##EQU1## where Q=heat released by the reaction Q'=total heat exchanges with the heat-carrying fluid S=the available exchange surface U=the overall heat exchange coefficient.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
23 words
The process of claim 1 wherein said step of conducting comprises maintaining the thickness of the gas stream at less than 150 millimeters.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
43 words
The process of claim 10 wherein the step of maintaining comprises choosing the perimeter of tubes in the tube bank less than 800 mm and ratio between contact surface of the tube bank and volume of said enclosure (S/V) between 1:1 and 3:1.