THE SIMULATED COUNTERCURRENT MOVING-BED CHROMATOGRAPHIC REACTOR - A NOVEL REACTOR SEPARATOR

The simulated countercurrent moving bed chromatographic reactor (SCMCR ) is a device for carrying out chemical reaction and separation simult aneously in a fixed bed. This is a novel reactor type in which separat ion takes place at the site of chemical reaction to improve product pu rities and conversions beyond those prescribed by thermodynamic equili brium. The simulated countercurrent system mimics the behavior of a co untercurrent moving bed by periodically changing feed and product loca tions sequentially along a fixed bed. The present investigations endea vor to determine to what extent the moving bed reactor advantages of h igh product purity and favorable equilibrium shifts are retained in SC MCR operations. An equilibrium stage model of the SCMCR consisting of a single fixed bed having a series of inlets and outlets along its len gth is considered. The mass balance equations are discretized to give an equilibrium plate model. Predictions of the concentration profiles in the column(s) are obtained for the 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene hydrogena tion reaction at 463 K. It is shown that reaction and separation can b e achieved simultaneously and that the yield of the reversible reactio n can be improved greatly. Under appropriate operating conditions, the model calculations predict high-purity product streams and nearly com plete conversion of a reaction which would otherwise be limited by equ ilibrium to 62%.