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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023149880-A1
Application number	US-201917358977-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 27, 2019
Priority date	Dec 27, 2018
Publication date	May 18, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and a device device for converting at least one reactant(5) into a reaction product and separating the at least one reactant from the reaction product, wherein the device comprises a vessel(10) with a vessel inner volume (11) and a confinement (20) submerged in the vessel inner volume (11), the confinement (20) providing a confinement inner (21) volume which is in fluid connection with the vessel inner volume (11), wherein the vessel inner volume (11) contains a first fluid (1) with a first density p1 and a second fluid with a second density p2, with p1 > p2, so that the first fluid (1) forms a lower phase and the second fluid (2) forms an upper phase in the vessel inner volume (11), wherein the confinement contains a third fluid (3) with a third density p3 with p3 > p2 so that the second fluid forms an upper layer and the third fluid forms a lower layer in the confinement inner volume (21), wherein the third fluid may be the same as or different from and is physically separated from the first fluid (1), wherein at least one of the first, second fluid and third fluid is at most partly with the other two, but preferably immiscible, wherein the at least one reactant (5) and the reaction product (6) have a different affinity for at least two of the first, second (2) and third fluid, wherein at least one of the first (1) and third fluid (3) contain a fourth phase (4) which is a solid or semi solid and is selected from the group of materials capable of promoting the conversion of the at least one reactant into the reaction product.

First claim

1 . A device for converting at least one reactant into a reaction product and separating the at least one reactant from the reaction product, wherein the device comprises a vessel with a vessel inner volume and a confinement submerged in the vessel inner volume, the confinement providing a confinement inner volume which is in fluid connection with the vessel inner volume, wherein the vessel inner volume contains a first fluid with a first density ρ1 and a second fluid with a second density ρ2, with ρ1 > ρ2, so that the first fluid forms a lower phase and the second fluid forms an upper phase in the vessel inner volume, wherein the confinement contains a third fluid with a third density ρ3 with 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 and is physically separated from the first fluid, wherein at least one of the first, second fluid and third fluid is at most partly miscible with the other two, wherein the at least one reactant and the reaction product have a different affinity for at least two of the first, second and third fluid, wherein at least one of the first and third fluid contain a fourth phase which is a solid or semi solid and is selected from the group of materials capable of promoting the conversion of the at least one reactant into the reaction product.

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

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

4 . The device according to claim 3 , wherein the confinement further comprises a liquid impermeable confinement wall.

5 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the fourth phase is a biologically active material or a catalytically active material capable of promoting a chemical reaction or a combination hereof.

6 . AThe device according to claim 1 , wherein the fourth phase further comprises one or more materials selected from the group of a stationary phase that can carry out separations according to the principles of chromatography, a sorbent that can effectuate selective trapping of one or more agents transported by the fluidic flow, a porous or non-porous solid reagent carrier, wherein the reagent carrier may contain covalently or non-covalently bonded reagent(s), trapped liquid(s) or gas(es), an immobilized chemical reagent, scavenger, reaction support, trapping sorbent or a combination or two or more hereof.

7 . AThe device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one reactant is contained in the first fluid, and one or more of the second and third fluid contain a compatibilizer for improving the compatibility of the reaction product with the second and/or third fluid.

8 . AThe device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one reactant is contained in the third fluid, and the first or the second fluid contain a compatibilizer for improving the compatibility of the reaction product with the first or the second fluid.

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

10 . AThe device according to claim 9 , wherein the agitator is further configured for agitating the confinement.

11 . AThe device according to claim 10 , 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.

12 . The device according to claim 10 , 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.

13 . AThe device according to claim 11 , wherein the impellers may be agitated at the same speed as the confinement or at a different speed.

14 . AThe device according to claim 9 , wherein an agitation speed of the agitator is variable.

15 . AThe device according to claim 1 , wherein a position of the confinement (20) in an upright direction of the reaction vessel is variable.

16 . AThe device according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more of the first, second and third fluid contain a material capable of selective trapping the at least one reactant or the reaction product, and combinations of two or more of such materials.

17 . The device 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.

18 . 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, wherein the method comprises the steps of
feeding the at least one reactant to one or more of a first, second or 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, second fluid and third fluid is immiscible with the other two, wherein at least one of the first and third fluid contain a fourth phase which is a solid or semi solid and is selected from the group of materials capable of promoting the conversion of the at least one reactant into the 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, second and third fluid.

19 . The method according to claim 18 , wherein at least one of the first, second or third fluid is subjected to agitation.

20 . The method according to claim 19 , wherein agitation is carried out in such a way that mass transfer between the first, second and third fluid is promoted, while mixing of the first, second and third fluid is reduced to a minimum.

21 . AThe method according to claim 18 , wherein the fourth phase is a catalyst, a catalyst comprising a catalytically active material supported on a carrier material or an immobilized biological entity capable of transforming reactants into a desired reaction product.

22 . AThe method according to claim 18 , wherein the at least one reactant is supplied to the second fluid, wherein the reactant has a compatibility with the first fluid that is higher than with the second fluid, wherein the at least one reactant is subjected to a reaction in the first fluid to form at least one reaction product, wherein the at least one reaction product has a compatibility with the third fluid that is higher than with the first and second fluid and wherein the reaction product is re

Assignees

• Vito Nv

Inventors

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

Classifications

• C12P13/001

  Amines; Imines · CPC title

• B01F29/83

  with rotary paddles or arms, e.g. movable out of the receptacle · CPC title

• B01D11/0457

  comprising rotating mechanisms, e.g. mixers, mixing pumps · CPC title

• B01D17/0214

  with removal of one of the phases · CPC title

• B01D11/0476 Primary

  Moving receptacles, e.g. rotating receptacles · CPC title