Synthesis of Organofluorine Compounds Using a Falling Film Microreactor: Process Development and Kinetic Modelling
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SYNTHESIS OF ORGANOFLUORINE COMPOUNDS USING A FALLING FILM MICROREACTOR: PROCESS DEVELOPMENT AND KINETIC MODELLING Kuveshan Padayachee [BSc Eng, UKZN] University of KwaZulu-Natal Howard College A dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Science in Engineering in Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal June 2016 Supervisors: Doctor David Lokhat and Professor Deresh Ramjugernath As the candidate’s supervisor I agree to the submission of this dissertation: Dr. D. Lokhat Prof. D. Ramjugernath DECLARATION I, Kuveshan Padayachee declare that: The research reported in this dissertation/thesis, except where otherwise indicated, is my original work. 1. The research reported in this thesis, except where otherwise indicated, is my original research. 2. This thesis has not been submitted for any degree or examination at any other university. 3. This thesis does not contain other persons’ data, pictures, graphs or other information, unless specifically acknowledged as being sourced from other persons. 4. This thesis does not contain other persons' writing, unless specifically acknowledged as being sourced from other researchers. Where other written sources have been quoted, then: i. Their words have been re-written but the general information attributed to them has been referenced ii. Where their exact words have been used, then their writing has been placed in italics and inside quotation marks, and referenced. 5. This thesis does not contain text, graphics or tables copied and pasted from the Internet, unless specifically acknowledged, and the source being detailed in the thesis and in the References sections. Signed: ________________ Date: ________________ ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This research is aligned with the aims of the Fluorochemical Expansion Initiative (FEI) endorsed and funded by the Department of Science and Technology. This project was supported by the South African Research Chairs Initiative of the Department of Science and Technology and, the National Research Fund, as well as Pelchem (a subsidiary of the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation) as part of the FEI programe. This work would have not been possible without the technical help and support of a number of individuals throughout its duration. Firstly, I would like to thank my supervisor Professor D. Ramjugernath for his wealth of knowledge and experience shared. My deepest gratitude is extended to my co-supervisor, Dr. D. Lokhat whose support, knowledge and friendship will forever be appreciated. I would also like to thank the technical and laboratory staff at the School of Chemical Engineering at the University of KwaZulu-Natal for their assistance and advice, namely Nomthandazo Hadebe, Sadha Naidoo and Ayanda Kanyile. I would also like to acknowledge all my post-graduate colleagues for their support, encouragement, knowledge and always welcomed sense of humour, Navar Singh, Perinban Govender, Ashveer Domah, Reshlin Moodley, Nalika Ojageer, Jesita Reddy, Thabo Magubane, Piniel Bengesai, Emmanuel Gande, Devash Rajcoomar, Philani Biyela, Rowen Gyan and Ashir Daya. Lastly, I would like to thank Nadia Ismail, my sister (Denisha), mother (Rajas) and father (Vinesh) as well as Shaneel Ragoo, Saira, Grace and Ahmed Ismail for their love and support throughout my tertiary education, without whom, none of this would have been possible. iii ABSTRACT South Africa is rich in valuable ore, including fluorspar (calcium fluoride), a principle feedstock used to synthesize hydrofluoric acid and a wide range of other fluorochemicals. As part of a wider initiative to promote local beneficiation of fluorspar, the primary purpose of this investigation was the synthesis of two valuable fluorochemicals, namely 1,1,2,3,3,3-hexafluoropropyl methyl ether (HME) and methyl-2,3,3,3-tetrafluoro-2-methoxypropionate (MTFMP). A secondary objective was to develop and identify suitable kinetic models as well as the associated kinetic parameters for the systems by means of least squares regression of experimental data. Two reactors were used in this study: the first, a gas-liquid continuously stirred semi-batch glass reactor was used for preliminary investigations (prior to the commencement of this work) to investigate the synthesis of HME. The second, a falling film microreactor (FFMR), a much more efficient medium for gas-liquid reactions, was used for the kinetic study. The FFMR was chosen as it has remarkable high rates of heat and mass transfer allowing for stringent control of reaction conditions as well as allowing for continuous process operation to be achieved. HME was produced by the reaction of methanol and hexafluoropropene in the presence of potassium hydroxide. MTFMP was similarly synthesized by the reaction of methanol and hexafluoropropene oxide in the presence of potassium and sodium hydroxide. The HME system was initially investigated in the gas-liquid glass reactor where the presence of HME as well as by- products of the reaction were successfully identified and quantified using gas chromatography- mass spectroscopy and gas chromatography (with the internal standard method), respectively. Results revealed that the reaction was rapid and highly exothermic and brought about negligible solid formation which deemed the system suitable for a FFMR. The yield of HME in the glass reactor varied between 19.21 and 53.32% with respect to moles of hexafluoropropene gas introduced into the system. The yields of the by-products were also quantified and the yield of alkenyl ether was found to vary between 0.07 and 1.03% while alkyl tetrafluoropropionate varied from 2.42 to 5.10%. These experiments were conducted at reactor temperatures between 12 and 28 °C, hexafluoropropene mole fractions in the feed between 0.41 and 0.83 and an inlet potassium methoxide concentration between 0.40 and 0.80 mol∙L-1. The novel synthesis of HME and MTFMP using a FFMR was then undertaken with the reactor operating in counter current mode. A 4 factor circumscribed Box-Wilson central composite design was used to design experiments, the four factors of interest being reaction temperature, liquid flowrate, either potassium or sodium hydroxide concentration, and finally, hexafluoropropene (for iv the HME system) and hexafluoropropene oxide (for the MTFMP system) mole fraction in the reactant gas. HME yields were found to be greater in the FFMR varying from 11.60 to 71.47% with the yields of the by-products varying from 0.11 to 6.99% for the alkenyl ether and 0.75 and 6.24% for the alkyl tetrafluoropropionate. Experiments were conducted at temperatures between 2 and 22 °C, hexafluoropropene mole fraction in the feed of 0.17 and 0.88, potassium methoxide concentration of 0.25 and 0.61 mol∙L-1 and a liquid flow rate of 0.50 and 5.50 mL∙min-1. The MTFMP system was handled similarly with its presence in the product being identified and quantified using gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy and gas chromatography (with the internal standard method), respectively. The yield of MTFMP was found to vary between 0.00 to 23.62% with respect to the moles of hexafluoropropene oxide introduced over the reaction period. The low yields were due to an inherently slower reaction which was not ideal for a FFMR given its low liquid residence time. Experiments were conducted at temperatures between 30 and 40 °C, hexafluoropropene oxide mole fraction in the feed of 0.16 and 0.84, potassium methoxide concentration of 0.15 and 0.65 mol∙L-1 and a liquid flow rate of 0.50 and 5.50 mL∙min-1. Results of the experiments showed that the MTFMP system was not suitable for the FFMR due to the low residence time of the reactant in reactor. A kinetic model was then developed for both the reactive systems from fundamental principles and executed in the MATLAB® environment (version R2012b, The MathWorks, Inc.). The kinetic model proposed for the HME system consisted of five reactions for which reference kinetic rate constants and activation energies were successfully identified. The resultant model did not predict HME concentrations adequately with an average absolute relative deviation percentage (AARD %) of 34.12 %. The reaction mechanism proposed for the MTFMP system was a two step reaction sequence which described the system satisfactorily well, the kinetic parameters required for this system was a reference kinetic rate constant, activation energy and Sechenov coefficient which were all successfully identified. The effect of reaction order on the pertinent reactions was also investigated and it was found that a second order description best fit the experimental data. The MTFMP model fit experimental data less agreeably with an AARD % of 170.00 % which was heavily weighted by data points with errors in excess of 500%, analysing the results exclusive of these points lead to an AARD % of 17.80 %. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Declaration ......................................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................... iii Abstract .............................................................................................................................................. iv Table of Contents............................................................................................................................... vi List of Figures ...................................................................................................................................