Appeal No. 1996-4087 Page 2
Application No. 08/259,362
According to appellants the invention is directed to a discontinuous
esterification, transesterification, transacetalization or an acetal forming reaction at
elevated temperatures, using a fixed bed catalyst. The steps of the reaction comprise:
A. forming a reaction mixture of the components in a first reaction zone,
B. transferring the reaction mixture through a fixed bed catalyst, which constitutes
the second reaction zone,
C. heating the reaction mixture to a desired reaction temperature suitable to remove
one or more volatile reaction products in a third reaction zone,
D. continuously circulating the reaction mixture through each of the reaction
zones until the desired degree of reaction completion is obtained.
THE CLAIMS
Claim 13 is illustrative of appellants’ invention and is reproduced below.
13. A discontinuous process for a heterogeneously catalyzed chemical
reaction which is an esterification reaction, a transesterification reaction, a
transacetalization reaction, or an acetal-forming reaction at an elevated temperature in
which at least one heat sensitive reaction product is formed comprising the steps of:
A. forming a reaction mixture of the components to be reacted in a reaction
zone,
B. passing the reaction mixture through a second zone containing a fixed-bed
catalyst,
C. passing the reaction mixture through a third zone in which the reaction
mixture is heated to the desired reaction temperature and in which the
more volatile reaction product or products are removed from the
reaction mixture, and
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