Process intensification of reactive extraction for hydrogen peroxide production in a rotating packed bed reactor

Abstract

Anthrahydroquinone oxidation and H2O2 extraction are essential steps for commercial production of H2O2 via the anthraquinone route. However, high demand of mass transfer in the oxidation and extraction for the complicated production procedure is still a challenge. In this work, a rotating packed bed (RPB) reactor with superior mass transfer efficiency was applied to the simultaneous oxidation reaction and extraction for the first time. Effects of various operating parameters on the efficiency of reactive extraction were investigated. The intensified gas-liquid-liquid mass transfer in the tandem RPB reactor + stirring tank reactor (STR) contributed to the anthrahydroquinone conversion and H2O2 extraction efficiency up to 92% and 89%, respectively, while only 9.1% and 69% in the STR. Compared with the bubble column, the RPB reactor + STR also showed higher H2O2 production efficiency and obvious advantage with a shorter reaction time, which paves a new way for gas-liquid-liquid reactive extraction.