Apparent kinetics and thermodynamics study of methyl ethyl ketone peroxide in efficient continuous-flow microreaction system and its kiloton pilot plant

Abstract

Organic peroxides are vital fine chemicals, and methyl ethyl ketone peroxide (MEKPO) is the most typical and commonly used one. However, the organic peroxide industry is highly hindered by frequent accidents resulting from their synthetic reaction. It's significant demand for green advances to develop efficient & safe synthesis technology for MEKPO and other organic peroxides. Moreover, lacking quantitative model for MEKPO, it's insufficient to determine regulatory mechanism, eliminate potential risks, and achieve successful scale-up. Herein, a microreaction platform was established to uncover thermodynamic constant and apparent kinetics model of MEKPO synthesis. Under its guidance, the microreaction process was scaled-up to 1000 tons/year productivity. In the pilot plant, the conversion is higher than batch process, within only 390 s residence time. The space-time yield increased by 55 times, which greatly reduced liquid hold-up and ensured safety. It's the first microreaction pilot plant for organic peroxides, improving both safety and efficiency for the industry.