Reflux condenser method

• Main Authors: Conneway, Fred A, Szul, John F, Rhodes, II, Clyde L
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 12.11.2019
• Subjects: ACYCLIC OR CARBOCYCLIC COMPOUNDS; CHEMISTRY; HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS; METALLURGY; ORGANIC CHEMISTRY; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; SEPARATION; TRANSPORTING

Methods, apparatus, and processes are provided for a condenser including flowing a vapor stream including formaldehyde into a tube bundle in a vertical upflow reflux condenser, where a tube in the tube bundle has a length to outside diameter ratio of greater than about 170:1, flowing a cooling fluid on a shell-side of the vertical upflow reflux condenser to condense at least a portion of the vapor stream, where the condensed portion of the vapor stream forms a wetted tube internal surface area on each tube in the generally upright tube bundle; and maintaining the vapor stream velocity at a rate that provides a liquid residence time where formaldehyde condensed on the wetted internal surface area of each tube can react with water to form methylene glycol, removing at least sixty percent (60%) of formaldehyde from the vapor stream fed to the condenser.