Abstract: A reactor, which is capable of accommodating a reaction in which at least three phases are present and at least one gaseous starting material and at least one liquid starting material are reacted in cocurrent over a fixed-bed catalyst to give one or more product(s), contains at least one first zone in which a catalyst is present as a fixed bed; and at least one second zone whose size corresponds to a reactor cross section and which is separated from the at least one first zone by a distributor plate provided with at least one hole and in which at least one liquid and at least one gaseous starting material enter the reactor. The distributor plate is provided with at least one static mixer which is located in the at least one hole on at least one side of the distributor plate.

Abstract: A reactor, which is capable of accommodating a reaction in which at least three phases are present and at least one gaseous starting material and at least one liquid starting material are reacted in cocurrent over a fixed-bed catalyst to give one or more product(s), contains at least one first zone in which a catalyst is present as a fixed bed; and at least one second zone whose size corresponds to a reactor cross section and which is separated from the at least one first zone by a distributor plate provided with at least one hole and in which at least one liquid and at least one gaseous starting material enter the reactor. The distributor plate is provided with at least one static mixer which is located in the at least one hole on at least one side of the distributor plate.

Abstract: A process is provided for the oxidation of p-xylene and methyl p-tolulate with oxygen-containing gases in the Witten-Hercules process for preparing dimetyl terephthalate in at least two sequentially arranged stages and in the presence of a catalyst, wherein the process involves oxidizing p-xylene and methyl p-toluate with oxygen containing gases in at least two sequential stages in the presence of a catalyst, wherein the at least two sequential stages include at least one p-xylene rich stage and at least one methyl p-toluate rich stage, wherein at least one of the following steps (a) and (b) occurs:(a) in the at least one p-xylene rich stage at least a portion of p-xylene present is oxidized in the presence of 5 to 30% by mass of methyl p-toluate, based on a total amount of oxidation mixture in the at least one p-xylene rich stage; or(b) in the methyl p-toluate rich stage at least one of methyl p-toluate or p-toluic acid is oxidized in the presence of 2 to 30% by mass of p-xylene, based on a total amount of m