GB460145A - Improvements in and apparatus for the manufacture and production of acetaldehyde from gases containing acetylene - Google Patents

Abstract

<PICT:0460145/IV/1> Acetaldehyde is made by passing gases containing comparatively small amounts of acetylene through a reaction vessel in the same direction as the catalytic solution, an excess, e.g. 10 to 30 times the amount of liquid in the vessel being circulated per hour. The gas enters the vessel B by the pipe F, the catalytic liquid being carried upward through the vessel B, which may contain filler rings, and overflowing into the vessel D, the shelves of which contain mercury for regenerating the solution, and finally re-entering the reaction vessel at A. The solution may contain ferric sulphate and sulphuric acid, as described in Specification 24153/14, [Class 2 (iii)]. Ferrous salts produced by the reaction with mercury must be re-oxidized; the regeneration of the solution may be carried out as part of the cycle or separately therefrom. The tower is heated to about 90 DEG C. by blowing in steam or indirectly, the acetaldehyde and waste gases passing through the pipe H to a condenser and washing tower.