Method and system for oxidizing cumene and hydrocarbons

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12331010-B2
Application number	US-202117795723-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 2, 2021
Priority date	Mar 3, 2020
Publication date	Jun 17, 2025
Grant date	Jun 17, 2025

Abstract

A method for oxidizing a hydrocarbon includes feeding an oxidant to a top portion of a reactor; reacting the hydrocarbon with the oxidant in the reactor to obtain a reaction product stream, the reaction product stream exiting a reactor outlet at a bottom portion of the reactor; and recycling a portion of the reaction product stream to the top portion of the reactor; and introducing the oxidant into an oxidation liquid comprising the portion of the reaction product stream recycled to the top portion of the reactor to form a reaction media stream entering a reactor inlet at the top portion of the reactor. A pressure of the reactor outlet exceeds a pressure of the reactor inlet by at least 5%. The reaction media stream moves vertically downwards in the reactor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for oxidizing a hydrocarbon, comprising:
feeding an oxidant to a top portion of a reactor;
reacting the hydrocarbon with the oxidant in the reactor to obtain a reaction product stream, the reaction product stream exiting a reactor outlet at a bottom portion of the reactor;
recycling a portion of the reaction product stream to the top portion of the reactor; and
introducing the oxidant into an oxidation liquid comprising the portion of the reaction product stream recycled to the top portion of the reactor to form a reaction media stream entering a reactor inlet at the top portion of the reactor;
wherein a pressure of the reactor outlet exceeds a pressure of the reactor inlet by at least 5%;
wherein the reaction media stream moves vertically downwards in the reactor; and
wherein a downward movement linear velocity of the oxidation liquid exceeds a floating linear velocity of the oxidant in the oxidation liquid, thereby providing downwards movement of the oxidant in the reactor.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the downward movement linear velocity of the oxidation liquid is 0.2 to 2 meters per second.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the oxidant is fed to the reactor at an oxidant pressure of less than or equal to 200 kiloPascals.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising compressing the oxidant before feeding the oxidant to the top portion of the reactor.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising separating the reaction product stream to obtain a liquid product stream and an exhaust gas stream.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the liquid product stream comprises a hydrocarbon oxidation product.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the liquid product stream comprises ethylbenzene.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the oxidant comprises oxygen-containing gas.

9. A system for oxidizing cumene, comprising:
a reactor for reacting the cumene and an oxidant to obtain a reaction product stream, the reactor comprising an oxidant inlet at a top portion of the reactor; and
a pump in fluid communication with the top portion of the reactor and a bottom portion of the reactor for recycling a portion of the reaction product stream to the top portion of the reactor from the bottom portion of the reactor providing downward movement of the oxidant in the reactor.

10. The system of claim 9 , further comprising a compressor in fluid communication with the oxidant inlet for compressing the oxidant before the oxidant is fed to the oxidant inlet.

11. A method for oxidizing cumene, comprising:
feeding an oxidant to a top portion of a reactor;
reacting the cumene with the oxidant in the reactor to obtain a reaction product stream comprising cumene hydroperoxide, the reaction product stream exiting a reactor outlet at a bottom portion of the reactor;
recycling a portion of the reaction product stream to the top portion of the reactor; and
introducing the oxidant into an oxidation liquid comprising the portion of the reaction product stream recycled to the top portion of the reactor to form a reaction media stream entering a reactor inlet at the top portion of the reactor;
wherein a pressure of the reactor outlet exceeds a pressure of the reactor inlet by at least 5%; and
wherein the reaction media stream moves downwards in the reactor.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the oxidant comprises air.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein a downward movement linear velocity of the oxidation liquid exceeds a floating linear velocity of the oxidant in the oxidation liquid, thereby providing downwards movement of the oxidant in the reactor.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the downward movement linear velocity of the oxidation liquid is 0.2 to 2 meters per second.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the oxidant is fed to the reactor at an oxidant pressure of less than or equal to 200 kiloPascals.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising compressing the oxidant before feeding the oxidant to the top portion of the reactor.

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising separating the reaction product stream to obtain a liquid product stream and an exhaust gas stream.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the liquid product stream comprises cumene hydroperoxide, cumene, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the reacting is at a temperature of 75° C. to 135° C.

20. The system of claim 9 , wherein:
the pump provides a downward movement linear velocity to the oxidant; and
the downward movement linear velocity exceeds a floating linear velocity of the oxidant in an oxidation liquid comprising the portion of the reaction product stream recycled to the top portion of the reactor, thereby moving the oxidant downwards in the reactor.

Assignees

• Sabic Global Technologies Bv

Inventors

• Nelson Mark Erik
• Dykman Arkady Samuilovich
• Zinenkov Andrey Vladimirovich

Classifications

• C07C407/00 Primary

  Preparation of peroxy compounds · CPC title

• B01J19/00 Primary

  Chemical, physical or physico-chemical processes in general; Their relevant apparatus · CPC title

• C07C409/10

  Cumene hydroperoxide · CPC title

• C07C407/003 Primary

  Separation; Purification; Stabilisation; Use of additives · CPC title