Quality and color of ethanolamine product streams by reduced temperature at the triethanolamine column

A method for producing triethanolamine from a non-reactive distillation column, comprising:

• mixing an ammonia solution comprising 30% to 40% by weight ammonia with ethylene oxide in a reactor to create a resultant product stream, wherein said resultant product stream comprises ethanolamines, unreacted ammonia and water;
• removing 30% to 50% by weight of the unreacted ammonia from the resultant product stream to create a stripped product stream;
• transferring the stripped product stream to a stage of a diethanolamine distillation column to create a resultant product stream;
• adjusting a bottom stream flow rate at the diethanolamine distillation column from 1% to 4% above a base value bottom stream flow rate;
• transferring the resultant product stream to a stage of a triethanolamine distillation column to create a triethanolamine product stream;
• adjusting a flow rate for the triethanolamine product stream by 10% to 20% below a base value flow rate;
• and
• recovering the triethanolamine product stream from the triethanolamine distillation column, wherein the triethanolamine product stream comprises triethanolamine with a degree of purity greater than or equal to 99% by weight and 0.1% to 0.6% by weight of diethanolamine;
• wherein the base value bottom stream flow rate is 3900 kilograms per hour to 4300 kilograms per hour and wherein the base value flow rate is 3000 kilograms per hour to 4000 kilograms per hour.