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2005
Conference Paper
Titel
Application of a microplant for the sulfonation of toluene with gaseous sulfur trioxide
Abstract
A 'backbone kit' for microprocess engineering technology was developed and used to construct complete microplants. The performance of such a microplant for multi-step processes was also demonstrated. The highly exothermic sulfonation of toluene with gaseous sulfur trioxide was also investigated in the microplant. The last reaction step, the hydration of sulfonic acid anhydride to sulfonic acid, was carried out in a microstructured reactor. The selectivity of sulfonic acid anhydride decreased slightly with increasing conversion and the selectivity of di-tolylsulfone was independent of the toluene conversion. The selectivities of di-tolylsulfone and sulfonic acid anhydride were approximately the same at both positions in the process.