The Partial Oxidation of Ortho-Xylene in a Transported-Bed Reactor

Abstract

<p> The partial, catalytic oxidation of ortho-xylene was investigated in a transported-bed reactor in which the vanadium pentoxide catalyst in the form of extremely small particles (average particle size of 45 microns) was conveyed upward by the reacting gases.</p> <p> The reaction was studied at a contact time of about 0.2 seconds, at air-to-o-xylene molar ratios of 42 to 86, at catalyst-to-gas ratios of 8 to 23, and at a reaction temperature of 750°F (400°C).</p> <p> Reaction products were analyzed by Gas Chromatography and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy.</p> <p> Product analysis indicated a high yield of o-tolualdehyde, small yields of other oxidation products, but only trace amounts of phthalic anhydride. These results are consistent with proposed mechanisms for this reaction.</p>