Design of a true moving bed reactor for the direct synthesis of dimethyl carbonate

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2015

Authors

B. A. V. Santos (Author) FEUP; C. S. M. Pereira (Author) FEUP; V. M. T. M. Silva (Author) Other; J. M. Loureiro (Author) FEUP; A. E. Rodrigues (Author) FEUP

Journal

Title: Chemical Engineering Science

Vol. 123

Pages: 406-419

ISSN: 0009-2509

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 1 Citation

ISI Web of Science

Scopus - 0 Citations

INSPEC

COMPENDEX

Current Contents

Scientific classification

FOS: Engineering and technology > Chemical engineering

CORDIS: Technological sciences > Engineering > Chemical engineering

Associated Projects

LA 20 - PROJECTO ESTRATÉGICO - LA 20 - 2013-2014

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00A-211

DOI: 10.1016/j.ces.2014.11.017

Abstract (EN): In the present work is proposed the direct synthesis of dimethyl carbonate (DMC) using a true moving bed reactor (TMBR) to enhance the equilibrium yield. A methodology to design the TMBR is proposed, concerning the maximization of reaction conversion and DMC purity at the outlet stream, and the minimization of the desorbent consumption, together in a single-objective function. The design is supported by numerical simulation, which was based on the experimental data collected from our previous works: mass transfer, adsorption over zeolite 3A, reaction kinetics over cerium oxide, and reaction equilibrium. Besides, the design is also supported by the volume separation method and contour maps of relevant performance variables inside the separation region. In addition, the potentiality and weaknesses of a TMBR process, for the DMC production, are discussed. The TMBR here proposed allows a complete separation between water and DMC in extract and raffinate streams, together with a conversion of carbon dioxide around 6% at 30 MPa and 363 K.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 14