Cyclic operation of a semi-batch reactor for the hydroformylation of long-chain olefins and integration in a continuous production process

The transition to renewable feedstocks in chemicals production requires innovative processes which are able to exploit the special properties of the feed material while still maintaining high process performance. Flexible semi-batch processes offer the advantage of dynamic adaptation to changing process requirements but suffer in terms of automation and production capacity where continuous processes excel. Combining the flexibility of a semi-batch reactor with the reliability of a continuous downstream process is the motivation for the application of a repeatedly operated semi-batch reactor (RSBR) concept to the hydroformylation of 1-dodecene in a ndecane/DMF thermomorphic multiphase system (TMS). In order to predict the dynamic process behavior, a detailed dynamic process model is introduced and compared to a corresponding steady-state model. In addition, the RSBR concept is embedded in a miniplant process to prove its feasibility and convergence to a cyclic steady-state experimentally. Finally, the collected experimental data is compared to the results from the dynamic process model indicating accurate predictions of the integral process behavior.