Continuous Liquid Vapor Reactions Part 1: Design and Characterization of a Reactor for Asymmetric Hydroformylation

A research scale continuous reactor system was designed and developed for high pressure asymmetric hydroformylation (AHF) reactions with an 8 h reaction time. The continuous reactor achieved high k(L)a, low axial dispersion, and an 8 mL liquid holdup volume. The reactor consisted of 20 vertical bubble flow pipes-in-series, connected by small diameter tubing jumpers. This type of continuous reactor is proven to be scalable up to 360 L in our GMP pharmaceutical manufacturing plant for high pressure hydrogenation. The continuous reactor was used for the AHF of styrene and 2-vinyl-6-methoxynaphthalene catalyzed by rhodium(bisdiazaphospholane) (BDP) complexes. The CSTRs-in-series numerical model fit the experimental data better than the plug flow with dispersion model. Samples were taken along the length of the continuous reactor and used for kinetic data modeling. Vapor liquid mass transfer rate constants were about 3 orders of magnitude higher than reaction rate constants.