Pure butane, stream and compressed air were mixed and sent into an adiabatic reactor. Butane reacted with oxygen to produce maleic anhydride. The reaction is exothermic, so fluidized bed reactor or packed bed reactor with near isothermal heat removal can be considered.

反应器出水被冷却，一个填充床吸收器，在那里它与水接触，以去除轻气体，所有顺丁烯二酸酐反应生成顺丁烯二酸。蒸汽流出物由不可冷凝的蒸汽组成，在排放到大气中之前，一定送后燃器以去除任何一氧化碳。这里没有显示。

The reactor effluent is cooled and a packed bed absorber where it is in contact with water to remove the light gas and all maleic anhydride reacts to produce maleic acid. The steam effluent consists of non condensable steam and must be sent to the afterburner to remove any carbon monoxide before it is discharged into the atmosphere. It's not shown here.

然后，在101 kPa和120℃下冷却和闪蒸液体流出物流。蒸汽流被送往废物处理，液体流出物流被运送，在那里顺丁烯二酸被分解为顺丁烯二酸酐和水。然后，将反应器出水送蒸馏塔，分离马来酸酐和水。馏出物流被送往废物处理。底部，由99重量的顺丁烯二酸酐组成。

The liquid outflow stream is then cooled and flashed at 101 kPa and 120 ° C. The steam stream is sent to waste treatment and the liquid outflow stream is transported, where maleic acid is decomposed into maleic anhydride and water. Then, the effluent from the reactor is sent to the distillation column to separate maleic anhydride and water. The distillate stream is sent to waste disposal. The bottom consists of 99% by weight of maleic anhydride.