Eastman Chemical Company

Other

Grupo Petrotemex S.a. De C.v.

Thomas Lloyd Yount

Larry Cates Windes

Bruce Roger DeBruin

Michael Paul Ekart

David Allen Sliger

Paul Keith Scherrer

Larry Cate Windes

Douglas M Haseltine

Wesley Thomas Moyer

J Wesley Adams

Jimmy L Ryans

Alan W White

Steven Paul Bellner

William Speight Murdoch

Roy Douglas Flores

Alan Wayne White

Christopher Scott Slaughter

Mark Allan Windes

A system for processing large quantities of a reaction medium while maintaining the reaction medium in sheets. The system includes a reactor having a plurality of vertically-spaced downwardly-sloped trays over which the reaction medium flows while it is subjected to reaction conditions. The slope of the trays increases downwardly to accommodate for the increased viscosity of the reaction medium while the reaction medium flows downwardly through the reactor. An upper portion of the trays have a uni-directional configuration, while a lower portion of the trays have a bi-directional configuration. Further, the orientation of flow across the uni-directional trays is rotated by 90 degrees in at least one location as the reaction medium flows down the uni-directional trays.

Reactor with optimized internal tray design

A reactor system operable to facilitate a chemical reaction in a reaction medium flowing therethrough. The reactor system includes a heat exchanger for heating the reaction medium and a disengagement vessel for disengaging vapor from the heated reaction medium.

Reactor system with optimized heating and phase separation

The disclosure describes a reactor operable to facilitate a chemical reaction in a reaction medium flowing therethrough. The reactor can include a horizontally elongated reactor segment containing a horizontally elongated tubular member and a tray disposed within the tubular member. The reaction medium can flow through the reactor segment on the tray and on the bottom of the tubular member in generally opposite directions. The reactor also can include a header and multiple horizontally elongated reactor segments coupled to the header and spaced vertically apart from one another. The reactor can be used to produce polyesters.

Multi-level tubular reactor with internal tray

A multi-level tubular reactor operable to facilitate a chemical reaction in a reaction medium flowing therethrough. The tubular reactor can include a plurality of horizontally elongated and vertically spaced reactor segments coupled to and extending outwardly from a common header. One or more of the reactor segments can contain a tray that divides the internal volume of the reactor segment into upper and lower chambers. The reaction medium can flow away from the header in the upper chambers and back to the header in the lower chambers.

Multi-level tubular reactor with vertically spaced segments

A multi-level tubular reactor operable to facilitate a chemical reaction in a reaction medium flowing therethrough. The tubular reactor can include a plurality of horizontally elongated and vertically spaced tubular members coupled to and extending between a pair of horizontally spaced and vertically elongated headers.

Multi-level tubular reactor with dual headers

Multi-level tubular reactor with oppositely extending segments

A horizontal trayed reactor operable to facilitate a chemical reaction in a reaction medium flowing therethrough. The reactor can include a plurality of vertically spaced trays disposed within the horizontally elongated vessel shell. The reaction medium can flow in generally opposite directions on vertically adjacent trays so that the reaction medium flows generally back-and-forth through the reactor.

Horizontal trayed reactor

The present invention provides an assembly for use in vertical, gravity flow driven polymerization reactors for combinations of high viscosity, high throughput, and shallow polymer depths. The baffle assembly module of the invention includes a support structure having a plurality of side openings. The side openings allow the escape of vapor liberated from the polymeric melt. The assembly further includes a feed splitter followed by two or more vertically arranged rows of baffle plates with the feed splitter and baffles sequentially positioned in the support structure. The plurality of parallel baffles in a row are angled such that when a polymeric melt contacts a given baffle the polymeric melt moves in a downward direction under the force of gravity. The arrangement of the rows is such that each row (except the lowest row) transfers the polymeric melt to a lower vertically adjacent row until reaching the last row of baffles in the module. According to the vertical arrangement of the components in the baffle assembly module and by stacking additional baffle assembly modules if needed within the reactor, the polymeric melt cascades down the vertical length of the reaction vessel interior. The present invention also provides a polymerization reactor that incorporates the assembly of the invention and a method of increasing the degree of polymerization of a polymer melt by using the assembly of the invention.

Baffle assembly module for vertical staged polymerization reactors

The present invention discloses a polymerization system having at least two reaction chambers wherein vacuum is used to remove vapors therefrom comprising a single vacuum system for supplying vacuum in increasing amounts to successive reaction chambers. Also disclosed is a polymerization process having at least first and second reaction chambers in which the pressure is decreased successively from said first chamber to a final chamber.

Vacuum system for controlling pressure in a polyester process

This invention relates to a vertically disposed polymerization reactor having a series of essentially circular tray assemblies; each tray assembly having a central open vapor chimney and two split-flow paths each split-flow path containing one reverse flow path wherein the liquid polymer flow is reversed by means of a substantially semi-circular turnaround region; each tray having a liquid polymer tray inlet and a liquid polymer tray outlet for conducting a flow of the liquid polymer by means of a hydraulic gradient; each tray assembly being open at the top for escape of vapor from the liquid polymer flow to the central open vapor chimney; and each tray arranged in vertical disposition one above the other.

Split flow reactor trays for vertical staged polycondensation reactors

The present invention discloses a polymerization system having at least two reaction chambers wherein vacuum is used to remove vapors therefrom comprising a single vacuum system for supplying vacuum in increasing amounts to successive reaction chambers. Also disclosed is a polymerization process having at least first and second reaction chambers in which the pressure is decreased successively from said first chamber to a final chamber, said process comprising the steps of: maintaining a vacuum in said final chamber by removing final chamber vapors therefrom via a final chamber ejector connected thereto by a vacuum line; directing discharge from said final chamber ejector into a first chamber precondenser to produce first chamber non-condensed materials and condensed first chamber ejector motive fluid; directing said first chamber ejector non-condensed materials from said first chamber precondenser to a second ejector connected thereto by a vacuum line; directing discharge from said second ejector into a second condenser to produce second condenser non-condensed materials and condensed second ejector motive fluid; wherein said second condenser is connected to a vacuum pump.

Vaccum system for controlling pressure in a polyester process

This invention relates to a vertically disposed polymerization reactor having a series of essentially circular tray assemblies; each tray assembly having a central open vapor chimney and a single flow path composed of at least two loops wherein the liquid polymer flow is reversed by means of a substantially semi-circular turnaround wall; each tray having a liquid polymer tray inlet and a liquid polymer tray outlet for conducting a flow of the liquid polymer by means of a hydraulic gradient; each tray assembly being open at the top for escape of vapor from the liquid polymer flow to the central open vapor chimney; and each tray arranged in vertical disposition one above the other.

Growing community of inventors

Kingsport, TN, United States of America

Thomas Lloyd Yount