Phenolchemie Gmbh & Co. Kg

Hermann Schmidt

Otto Gerlich

Michael Kleine-Boymann

Juergen Volke

The present invention provides a method of starting up a loop reactor system, which method includes heating a reaction mixture present in the loop reactor system with the heat of reaction of at least one exothermic reaction occurring in the loop reactor system. The method of the invention makes possible an inexpensive, reliable and simple start-up of loop reactor systems, since the heat liberated when carrying out an exothermic reaction is utilized for heating the reaction mixture present in the loop reactor. Use of the method of the invention makes it unnecessary to switch heat exchangers over from coolant to heat transfer media such as steam. Since the method of the invention is able to heat up the reaction mixture in the loop reactor system more rapidly than in conventional methods, the number and the amount of by-products formed by secondary reactions during the start-up phase is reduced. In addition, the method of the invention reduces the corrosive stress on the heat exchangers since none of the heat exchangers need be at a temperature significantly higher than the temperature of the reaction mixture in the loop reactor system.

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Gladbeck, Germany

Hermann Schmidt