Introduction

The invention relates to a reactor able to process liquid reagents in the presence of a heterogeneous catalyst, in a continuous process, through a series of fluidized beds with perfect mixing. The absolute operational flexibility allows it to adapt to any type of chemical reaction in heterogeneous catalysis.

Technical features

The apparatus is a modular fluidized bed reactor placed in series. The series of these beds constitutes a Continuous Fluidized Bed Reactor-CFBR. It allows to work with solid granular catalysts without high operating pressures and exploiting the advantages of mixing a fluidized bed (absence of preferential paths and pressure drops).

Each fluidized bed communicates with the next through a porous septum which allows the passage of the liquid reactants, but blocks the catalyst in the reaction chamber, keeping it separate from the reactants-products mix. The innovation consists in the possibility to arrange the catalytic beds in series so that the reactants move from one chamber to another until the reaction is complete. The process is continuous and it is possible to take the products along the reaction path, ensuring maximum operating flexibility.

Possible Applications

• Industrial processes with high catalyst costs (e.g. enzymatic processes), therefore particularly suitable for chemical and pharmaceutical industries;
• Thermoregulation allows the apparatus to be particularly suitable for highly viscous fluids, therefore for the processes of the oil industry.

Advantages

• Development of a less energy-consuming processes;
• Easy recovery and reuse of the catalyst;
• Lower separation costs, possibility of easily recovering and enhancing any by-products;
• Adaptability to any type of chemical reaction in heterogeneous catalysis.