Fouling-resistant distillation column and process for the manufacture of compounds
AssigneeDow Global Technologies LLC
InventorsBruce S. Holden, John W. Wilchek, Jr.
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Abstract
Disclosed herein is a fouling-resistant system for the manufacture of a compound by distillation, the system including a reactant heating zone; a distillation column in fluid communication with the reactant heating zone wherein the distillation column comprises a plurality of distillation trays for removing by-products from the reactants, and wherein at least 20% of the plurality of distillation trays are baffle trays arranged in a staggered configuration; where each tray contacts an opposing portion of an inner wall of the distillation column from a portion contacted by a tray located above the tray and below the tray; and wherein the baffle trays are disposed in a lower portion of the distillation column.
Claims10
A system for the manufacture of a compound comprising:
- a reactant heating zone;
- and
- a distillation column in fluid communication with the reactant heating zone;
- wherein
- the distillation column comprises a plurality of distillation trays for removing by-products from the compound, the plurality of distillation trays comprising a plurality of sieve trays and a plurality of baffle trays;
- at least 20% of the plurality of distillation trays are baffle trays arranged in a staggered configuration,
- each baffle tray contacts a different portion of an inner wall of the distillation column from the baffle trays located immediately above and/or below each baffle tray, and
- all of the baffle trays are disposed in the lower half of the distillation column,
- wherein any baffle tray occupies 55 to 90% of the cross-sectional area of the distillation column at the location of the baffle tray in the distillation column.
A process for the manufacture of a compound, the process comprising:
- heating a reactant in a heating zone to generate a vapor phase;
- distilling the vapor phase in a distillation column, the distillation column being in fluid communication with the heating zone;
- wherein
- the distillation column comprises a plurality of distillation trays for removing by-products from the reactant and the compound, the plurality of distillation trays comprising a plurality of sieve trays and a plurality of baffle trays;
- at least 20% of the plurality of distillation trays are baffle trays arranged in a staggered configuration,
- each baffle tray contacts a different portion of an inner wall of the distillation column from the baffle trays located immediately above and/or below each baffle tray, and
- all of the baffle trays are disposed in the lower half of the distillation column;
- separating and removing a crude compound, water of reaction, unreacted raw materials, and a by-product from the distillation column;
- and
- recovering the compound from the distillation column,
- wherein any baffle tray occupies 55 to 90% of the cross-sectional area of the distillation column at the location of the baffle tray in the distillation column.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.