Technical and economic evaluation of different reactors for methanotrophiccultures for propylene oxide production (vol 74, pg 651, 1998)

A two-stage process for the manufacture of propylene oxide is described. Th e preliminary economics based on use of methanol as a regeneration factor h as resulted in a production cost of $12.10/lb of propylene oxide based on p ropylene oxide production rate of 40 mg/g-cell/h in conventional reactor. I ncreasing the propylene oxide production from 40 to 500 mg/g-cell/h resulte d in a cost reduction from $12.10 to 5.8/lb of propylene oxide. The granula r-activated, carbon-fluidized bed reactor (GAC-FBR) absorbs the propylene o xide and when saturated is eluted with ethyl acetate, and the bed is regene rated by steam to drive off the residual solvents. The estimated manufactur ing costs are approx 59% lower (from $12.10/lb in conventional reactors to $5.00/lb for GAC-FBRs) for products that are highly inhibitory such as epox ides. In the GAC-FBR reactor, enhancing the propylene oxide production rate from 120 to 1500 mg/gcell/h has resulted in the cost reduction to $2.00/lb . Enhancing the production capacity from 1 million lb to 10 million lb/yr h as further reduced the cost of production to $1.00/lb.