Aqueous Kolbe-Schmitt synthesis using resorcinol in a microreactor laboratory rig under high-p-T conditions

The aqueous Kolbe-Schmitt synthesis using resorcinol to yield 2,4-dihydroxy benzoic acid was performed in a microreactor rig. This small-scale plant was equipped initially with one capillary reactor and one microstructured cooler only. Later, two upgraded versions were constructed, having in addition a microstructured cooler and a microstructured mixer, respectively. The chemical protocol was significantly varied as compared to standard laboratory operation as described in the literature. Higher temperatures (up to 220 degrees C) and pressures (up to 74 bar) were employed in a facile manner, termed high-p,T processing. In this way, the reaction time could be shortened by orders of magnitude, from about 2 hours to less than one minute, in some cases to some seconds. This resulted in a remarkable increase of the space-time yield by a factor of 440 at best. Productivity was in the L/h range and yielded at best 111 g/h product, corresponding to 4 t/a. Scale-out solutions are indicated. Drawbacks of the microreactor operation were also identified such as high sensitivity to fouling and delicate regulation of the system pressure, leading to partly unstable plant operation. Possibly even a considerable part of the product was rearranged to 2,6-dihydroxybenzoic acid and then thermally decomposed under the harsh reaction conditions. Solutions to overcome or at least diminish these restrictions are envisaged, and in the hope that this may be achieved, a process innovation and business perspective for the high-p,T microreactor processing is depicted.