Process for preparing ketene in the presence of a fluidized bed material with a surface area of up to 600 M
A Process for preparing ketene in the presence of a fluidized bed material with a surface area of up to about 600 m 2 /g. The process is further defined as a process for preparing ketene from a sugar or glycolaldehyde feedstock.
1. A process for preparing ketene from a feedstock wherein the feedstock is pyrolysed in the presence of a fluidized bed material, wherein the surface area of the fluidized bed material is up to 600 m 2 per gram and the feedstock is selected from one or more of the group consisting of glucose, fructose, galactose, xylose, sucrose and mannose and glycolaldehyde.
2. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the fluidized bed material is selected from the group consisting of SiC, silica gel, and silica gel calcined at 500° C.
3. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the fluidized bed material is colloidal silica mixed with an oxide selected from the group consisting of Nb 2 O 5 , SiO 2 , TiO 2 , ZrO 2 , CeO 2 and BaO.
4. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the temperature of the reaction is less than 700° C.
5. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the reaction chamber is a fluidized bed.
6. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the residence time of the material in the reaction chamber of the fluidized bed is up to 150 ms.
7. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the percentage yield of ketene is greater than 16%.
8. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the feedstock is introduced into the fluidized bed reaction chamber as an aqueous solution.
9. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the feedstock is introduced into the fluidized bed reaction chamber as an aqueous solution comprising up to 60% by weight of feedstock.
10. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the feedstock is introduced into the fluidized bed reaction chamber as an atomized solution with a particle size of less than 10 μm.
11. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the process is carried out under an inert atmosphere of nitrogen.
12. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the ketene is ethenone.