Device and method for converting and separating at least one reactant and a reaction product thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12485400-B2
Application number	US-201917358977-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 27, 2019
Priority date	Dec 27, 2018
Publication date	Dec 2, 2025
Grant date	Dec 2, 2025

Abstract

A method and a device are disclosed for converting at least one reactant into a reaction product and separating the at least one reactant. The device includes a vessel with a vessel inner volume and a confinement, submerged in the vessel inner volume, that provides a confinement inner volume in fluid connection with the vessel inner volume. First and seconds fluids, with a respective, higher first density and a lower, second density form respective lower and upper phases in the vessel inner volume. A third fluid with a third density higher than that of the second fluid forms a lower layer in the confinement inner volume, relative to an upper layer formed by the second fluid. The third fluid may be the same as or different from, and is physically separated from, the first fluid. At least one of the first, second, and third fluids is at most partly miscible with the other two, but preferably immiscible. The at least one reactant and the reaction product have different affinities for at least two of the first, second, and third fluids, and at least one of the first and third fluid contains a fourth phase which is a solid or semi solid and is capable of promoting the conversion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A method for converting at least one reactant into at least one reaction product and separating the at least one reactant from the at least one reaction product, the method comprising:
feeding the at least one reactant to one or more of a first fluid, a second fluid, or a third fluid contained in a vessel with a vessel inner volume into which a confinement is submerged, the confinement providing a confinement inner volume in fluid connection with the vessel inner volume, wherein the first fluid has a first density ρ1 and the second fluid has a second density ρ2, with ρ1>ρ2, wherein the first fluid is at most partly miscible with the second fluid so that the first fluid forms a lower phase and the second fluid forms an upper phase in the vessel inner volume, wherein the vessel inner volume is at most partly filled with the second fluid in fluid connection with the confinement inner volume, wherein the confinement contains the third fluid with a third density ρ3, wherein ρ3>ρ2 so that the second fluid forms an upper layer and the third fluid forms a lower layer in the confinement inner volume, wherein the third fluid may be the same as or different from the first fluid, wherein at least one of the first fluid, the second fluid, and the third fluid is immiscible with the other two fluids, wherein at least one of the first fluid and the third fluid contain a fourth phase which is a solid or semi solid, said fourth phase being capable of promoting a chemical, biochemical, or biological reaction for the conversion of the at least one reactant into the at least one reaction product, wherein the at least one reactant and the at least one reaction product have a different affinity for at least two of the first fluid, the second fluid, and the third fluid.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first fluid, the second fluid, or the third fluid is subjected to agitation.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the agitation is carried out in such a way that mass transfer between the first fluid, the second fluid, and the third fluid is promoted, while mixing of the first fluid, the second fluid, and the third fluid is reduced to a minimum.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the fourth phase is a catalyst, wherein said catalyst comprises a catalytically active material supported on a carrier material, or wherein said catalyst comprises an immobilized biological entity capable of said promoting the chemical, biochemical, or biological reaction for the conversion of the at least one reactant into the at least one reaction product.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one reactant is supplied to the second fluid, wherein the at least one reactant has a reactant/first fluid compatibility that is higher than a reactant/second fluid compatibility, wherein the at least one reactant is subjected to a reaction in the first fluid to form the at least one reaction product, wherein the at least one reaction product has a product/third fluid compatibility that is higher than a product/first fluid compatibility and a product/second fluid compatibility and wherein the at least one reaction product is recovered from the third fluid.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one reactant is supplied to the second fluid, wherein the at least one reactant has a reactant/third fluid compatibility that is higher than a reactant/second fluid compatibility, wherein the at least one reactant is subjected to a reaction in the third fluid to form the at least one reaction product, wherein the at least one reaction product has a product/first fluid compatibility that is higher than a product/second fluid compatibility and a product/third fluid compatibility and wherein the at least one reaction product is recovered from the first fluid.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one reactant is supplied in excess.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first fluid and the third fluid are at most partly miscible.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the fourth phase is positioned on a bottom of the vessel or a bottom of the confinement.

10 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein the confinement further comprises a liquid impermeable confinement wall.

11 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the fourth phase is a biologically active material or a catalytically active material capable of said promoting the chemical, biochemical, or biological reaction.

12 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one reactant is contained in the first fluid, and one or more of the second fluid and the third fluid contain a compatibilizer for improving a product/second fluid compatibility or a product/third fluid compatibility.

13 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one reactant is contained in the third fluid, and the first fluid or the second fluid contains a compatibilizer for improving a product/first fluid compatibility or a product/second fluid compatibility.

14 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the vessel comprises an agitator configured for agitating at least one of the first fluid, the second fluid, and the third fluid.

15 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the agitator is further configured for agitating the confinement.

16 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein the agitator comprises a first set of rotatable impellers at a position outside of the confinement and proximal to the bottom of the confinement.

17 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein the agitator further comprises a second set of rotatable impellers at a position proximal to an open top face of the confinement and below an upper surface of the second fluid.

18 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein the first set of rotatable impellers may be agitated at the same speed as the confinement or at a different speed.

19 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein an agitation speed of the agitator is variable.

20 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein a position of the confinement in an upright direction of the vessel is variable.

21 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more of the first fluid, the second fluid, and the third fluid contains at least one material capable of selective trapping the at least one reactant or the at least one reaction product.

22 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the confinement comprises a bottom and a peripheral wall which are liquid impermeable, and a top face which is at least partly open and capable of communicating with the vessel inner volume.

23 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the first fluid and the third fluid are immiscible.

24 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the fourth phase is the biologically active material comprising cells or fragments thereof.

25 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein the agitator is configured for agitating the confinement by rotating, rocking, wagging, or oscillating the confinement.

Assignees

• Vito Nv

Inventors

• Matassa Claudia
• Elslander Helmut
• Ormerod Dominic
• Satyawali Yamini

Classifications

• C12P13/001

  Amines; Imines · CPC title

• C07C209/88

  Separation of optical isomers · CPC title

• C01B35/109

  Purification; Separation; Concentration · CPC title

• B01J19/18

  Stationary reactors having moving elements inside (B01J19/08, B01J19/26 take precedence) · CPC title

• B01J19/0066

  Stirrers (mixing per se B01F) · CPC title