Abstract: A multi-zone jacketed pipe reactor (2; 60; 90; 130) for carrying out exothermic gaseous phase reactions and with at least one reaction zone (I) working with vaporisation cooling, at least one reaction zone (II) working with circulation cooling and, possibly, with additional zones (III, IV) is characterised in that one reaction zone (I) working with vaporisation cooling forms the first reaction zone to which is connected an additional reaction zone (II) working with circulation cooling. In this way there occurs at the beginning of the reaction, when the latter is most violent, very intensive cooling at a precisely controllable temperature and especially as well a temperature that is constant across the entire cross-section of the reactor while subsequently in a subsequent reaction zone working with circulating cooling by means of global counter-flow guidance of the heat transfer agent a constant cooling of the reaction gas is achieved.

Abstract: A continuous flow chemical reaction apparatus comprises a tubular reactor having a length and having a first fluid reactant inlet at a first end and a product outlet at a second end, said tubular reactor having a central tube/interior conduit extending lengthwise within said tubular reaction zone, said conduit having at least one injector within the length of said conduit, said injector capable of introducing a controlled amount of a second fluid reactant into said tubular reactor.

Abstract: A support for sheaves of pipe that prevents each pipe (4) individually and each sheaf as a whole from sagging. Each pipe extends through a more or less matching perforation. The support comprises at least two adjacent, parallel, and mutually attached disks (2 or 22) containing perforations (6 or 30) uniformly distributed at an angle of 60.degree. and matching the outer cross-section of the pipe. Every nth perforation in every nth line along one of the major axes (8, 10, & 12 or 24, 26, & 28) of distribution is concentrically expanded into the vicinity of the (n-1)th surrounding perforations (6 or 30), wherein n=2 or 3. The particular expansions (14 or 30) in subsequent disks (2a & 2b or 22a & 22b) are displaced such that every expansion in one disk is coaxial with a perforation (6c or 30b) left in the other disk.

Abstract: In a tubular reactor (2) for catalytic chemical gas-phase reactions with symparallel [sic] guidance of the heat-exchanger, a partial stream of the heat-exchanger medium, this partial stream immediately neighboring the inlet side of the tube plate (6), is introduced through a by-pass channel (26) arranged in the center of the bank of tubes (4), by-passing the bank of tubes, and introduced at a point which is downstream to the discharge area of the heat-exchanger. In this way, undersirable severe local cooling in the reaction area of the bank of tubes (4) can be avoided.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process of converting ethylbenzene to styrene by catalytic dehydrogenation at temperatures of about 600.degree. C. in the presence of water vapor in a tubular reactor. The heat required for the dehydrogenation is fed to the tubular reactor with a molten salt bath. The dehydrogenation is effected isothermally and in a single stage under atmospheric pressure or preferable under a subatmospheric pressure with a water vapor-ethylbenzene ratio of 1.2 to 1.5 kg of water vapor per kg of ethylbenzene. The temperature of the ethylbenzene-water-vapor mixture entering the tubular reactor is maintained 50.degree. to 100.degree. C. below the temperature of the molten salt bath.

Abstract: A plurality of catalyzer beds are arranged in series in a reactor jacket. Associated with each catalyzer bed is a plurality of distributor pipes for supplying a fresh catalyst and a plurality of draining pipes for draining off the used catalyst. In one embodiment, the reactor jacket is rotatable and the plurality of distributor pipes are connected to an upper edge of the catalyzer bed while the plurality of draining pipes are connected to a lower edge of the catalyzer bed so that when the reactor jacket is rotated to a position that tilts the catalyzer beds the used catalyst will drain off. In another embodiment, the lower surface of the catalyzer beds are formed of two pivotable plates which pivot downwardly and away from each other to allow for the draining of the used catalyst.