| US 7,481,981 B2 | ||
| Apparatus for the esterification of a fatty acid | ||
| Peter Moritz, Wiesendangen (Switzerland); Peter Faessler, Singapore (Singapore); Claudia von Scala, Zurich (Switzerland); and Oliver Bailer, Winterthur (Switzerland) | ||
| Assigned to Sulzer Chemtech AG, Winterthur (Switzerland) | ||
| Filed on Apr. 17, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/405,059. | ||
| Application 11/405059 is a division of application No. 10/706449, filed on Nov. 12, 2003, granted, now 7,091,367. | ||
| Claims priority of application No. 02406034 (EP), filed on Nov. 28, 2002. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2006/0199971 A1, Sep. 07, 2006 | ||
| Int. Cl. B01J 19/00 (2006.01); C11C 3/00 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 422—131 [422/190; 422/211; 422/213; 554/170] | 3 Claims |
| 1. An apparatus for the production of a fatty acid ester E by means of a heterogeneous catalysis comprising
a column;
a fluid supply inlet in fluid connection with said column;
a packing disposed in said column for carrying out a heterogeneous catalysis of a fatty acid and alcohol, said packing including
porous catalyst supports defining flow channels therebetween for passage of a stripping gas between said catalyst supports
and catalyst within said porous catalyst supports;
a distributor for directing a downwardly directed flow of a mixture of fatty acid and alcohol onto said packing for passage
through said catalyst supports in counter-flow to an upwardly directed flow of stripping gas with the mixture in direct contact
with the gas to allow a material exchange to take place; and
a sump below said packing for receiving alcohol from said packing and for generating an upward flow of stripping gas from
the alcohol in said sump.
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