Polymerizable Material Heating Device with Counter-Gravity Gas Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for processing polymerizable substances, such as (meth)acrylic acid and (meth)acrylic esters, fail to adequately prevent polymerization during heating and purification processes, particularly in tube bundle heat exchangers, leading to safety and economic concerns.
Innovation Solution
An arrangement featuring a gassing device for introducing a gas, like oxygen, into the polymerizable substance and a heating device with heat exchange surfaces, where the substance flows against gravity, ensuring uniform gas distribution to inhibit polymerization, utilizing a gassing device with nozzles and flow influencers to maintain consistent gas content throughout the heating process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If polymerizable substance is heated in tube bundle heat exchangers for purification or esterification, then adequate separation performance or esterification is achieved, but polymerization occurs leading to safety and economic problems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by introducing oxygen into the polymerizable substance before heating in the tube bundle heat exchanger. The oxygen is mixed with the liquid phase upstream of the heat exchanger, ensuring that polymerization inhibition is established before the material enters the heating zone. This preliminary protective action prevents polymerization during the subsequent heating and separation process.
2Reliability
If polymerization inhibitors are added to prevent polymerization during heating, then polymerization is suppressed, but additional substances must be managed in the purification process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameter of the liquid phase by introducing oxygen, which alters the polymerization behavior of the substance. By modifying the chemical environment (adding oxygen as a polymerization inhibitor), the system achieves polymerization prevention without requiring additional complex purification steps for removing inhibitor substances, as oxygen is already present in the air feed stream.
3Reliability
If gas is introduced into polymerizable substance to inhibit polymerization, then polymerization tendency is reduced, but uniform gas distribution must be ensured throughout the heating device
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by introducing gas through multiple injection points distributed along the length of the tube bundle heat exchanger. Instead of a single injection point, multiple nozzles or injection ports are positioned at different locations to ensure uniform gas distribution throughout the liquid phase as it flows through the heating device, preventing localized polymerization inhibition gaps.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the liquid phase flow itself as an intermediary to distribute the introduced gas uniformly throughout the system. The continuous flow of polymerizable substance acts as a medium that carries the introduced oxygen from injection points throughout the entire heating zone, eliminating the need for complex mechanical gas distribution systems.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution significantly reduces the tendency for polymerization, allowing for efficient and prolonged operation of the heating device with reduced maintenance and costs, while ensuring high-purity (meth)acrylic acid production.
Implementation Method 1
at least one gassing device (2) for introducing a gas (11) into the polymerizable substance (12)
Implementation Method 2
a heating device (3) for heating the polymerizable substance (12) provided with gas (11)
Implementation Method 3
the polymerizable substance (12) flows through the heating device (3) via an inlet (4) counter to the force of gravity (9)
Implementation Method 4
the polymerizable substance (12) flows through the heating device (3) via an inlet (4) counter to the force of gravity (9)
Implementation Method 5
The presence of oxygen also inhibits the polymerization
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
The invention relates to an assembly (1) for treating a polymerizable material (12), comprising at least one gasifying device (2) for introducing a gas (11) into the polymerizable material (12) as well as a device (3) for heating the polymerizable material (12) containing gas (11). The inventive assembly (1) is characterized in that the heating device (3) is designed such that the polymerizable material (12) penetrates the heating device (3) counter to the force of gravity (9) via an inlet (4) while means are provided for evenly distributing the gas (11) via the inlet (4). The invention also relates to a method for heating a polymerizable material, a device for producing (meth)acrylic acid, and a method for producing high-purity (meth)acrylic acid.