Exxonmobil Chemical Patents Inc.

Yesim Igci

Bryan A Patel

Min Chang

Disclosed are processes and systems for oxidizing cycloalkylbenzene such as cyclohexylbenzene to make an oxygenate such as a hydroperoxide thereof. A liquid distributor having multiple liquid ingress ports is used for supplying a cycloalkylbenzene-containing liquid into an oxidation reactor in the form of liquid streams forming part of the reaction medium. A gas distributor distributing an O-containing gas into the reaction medium in the form of gas streams is preferably located below the liquid distributor. Preferably the gas bubbles upwards in the reaction medium. The agitation and mixing provided by the liquid streams, gas streams/bubbles result in sufficient homogeneity of cycloalkylbenzene concentration, cycloalkylbenzene hydroperoxide concentration, dissolved oxygen concentration, and temperature in the liquid phase.

Process and reactor system for oxidizing cycloalkylbenzene

Systems, methods, and apparatus for distribution of oxygen-containing gas within a gas-liquid oxidation reaction are provided herein. The invention is particularly suited for oxidation of liquid-phase organic reactants with oxidizing gas, such as the oxidation of cyclohexylbenzene to cyclohexylbenzene hydroperoxide using an oxygen-containing gas. The oxygen-containing gas is distributed through a gas distributor and into a liquid-phase reaction medium within an oxidation reactor. In some aspects, this achieves a high degree of uniformity of oxygen concentration within the liquid-phase reaction medium. The gas distributor is disposed within a lower portion of the reactor, and may comprise a network of conduits in fluid communication with each other, which are arranged within a plane that is substantially parallel to a bottom surface of the reactor. A plurality of orifices are disposed on the conduits, such that oxygen-containing gas flows through the conduits and into the liquid-phase reaction medium via the orifices.

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Spring, TX, United States of America

Yesim Igci