Ethylene Dichloride Production in External-loop Gaslift Reactors

An experimental and simulation study has been carried out for the boiling temperature chlorination process of ethylene-to-ethylene dichloride in a gaslift reactor. A substantial improvement in the reactor performance is observed when perforated plate spargers are used compared to nozzle spargers. The backflow cell model is validated with experimental data and is observed to correctly predict the reactor performance in the range of experimental conditions investigated. The model has been utilized to investigate the effects of some important design (height to diameter ratio) and operating (feed ratio, top pressure) parameters on the performance of the reactor. The results suggest that tall systems with excess ethylene favor the conversion of chlorine.