Method and apparatus for the production of particulate carbon products

Abstract

This invention relates to a method for the production of particulate carbon products in a reactor vessel wherein gas flow between a gas inlet port and a gas outlet port suspends a bed of catalyst-containing particulate material in said vessel and wherein the product is discharged from said vessel by falling from the bed.

1 . A reactor comprising a vessel having a plurality of gas inlet ports, a gas outlet port and a particulate product outlet port, wherein in use a reaction bed is formed in said vessel containing a bed of catalyst-containing particulate material and said gas inlet ports are disposed so as to introduce gas into the reaction bed. 
     
     
         2 . A reactor as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the gas is introduced directly into the reaction bed. 
     
     
         3 . A reactor as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the gas is introduced through ports in the vessel wall proximate the reaction bed. 
     
     
         4 . A reactor as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the reactor vessel is arranged in a horizontal orientation. 
     
     
         5 . A reactor as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the reactor vessel is arranged at an angle up to 45̂ from the horizontal. 
     
     
         6 . A reactor as claimed in  claim 1  comprising gas inlet ports arranged such that in use gas flow therefrom suspends the bed of catalyst-containing particulate material in said vessel and particulate product is discharged from the reactor vessel by falling from the bed and through one or more particulate product outlet ports. 
     
     
         7 . A reactor as claimed in  claim 1  wherein product outlet ports may be arranged along the base of the vessel in the direction of travel of the bed such that particulate products can be harvested from the reactor by falling from the bed. 
     
     
         8 . A reactor as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the vessel comprises a downstream end and the gas outlet port and the particulate product outlet port are a common outlet port at the downstream end of the vessel. 
     
     
         9 . A reactor as claimed in  claim 1  comprising gas inlet and/or gas outlet ports above and/or along the reaction bed. 
     
     
         10 . A reactor as claimed in  claim 1  arranged so as to have an increasing cross-sectional area in the direction of gas flow. 
     
     
         11 . A reactor as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the vessel is cylindrical or conical in shape. 
     
     
         12 . A reactor as claimed in  claim 1  comprising gas inlet ports arranged tangentially to the reactor vessel so as to agitate or spin the reaction bed. 
     
     
         13 . A reactor as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the reactor is static. 
     
     
         14 . A reactor as claimed in  claim 1  arranged to rotate so as to agitate the reaction bed. 
     
     
         15 . A reactor as claimed in  claim 14  wherein the reactor vessel has an inside and an outside and wherein the inside of the reactor vessel is provided with stirring members connected to the inside of the reactor vessel such that the bed is agitated and stirred as the vessel rotates.