Process for production of alcohols
AssigneeThe Governors of the University of Alberta
InventorsKarl T. Chuang, Yung F. Chen
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Abstract
The invention disclosed relates to the production of alcohols. A first aspect of the invention relates to a process for production of alcohols, and in particular to a process for the catalytic hydration of an olefin to the corresponding alcohol in substantially anhydrous form, under selected mild reaction conditions, and using a selected catalyst. A second aspect of the invention relates to a process for dehydration of an azeotropic mixture, including a first alcohol and water. A hydration reaction between the water in the azeotropic mixture and an added olefin, under selected mild conditions, and using a selected catalyst, produces a product including a second alcohol corresponding to the olefin, and the first alcohol, in substantially anhydrous form.
Claims15
A process for reducing the water content of a starting feed stream comprising an azeotropic mixture of a first alcohol and water, comprising:
- (a) effecting a hydration reaction of the water content of the feed stream with an olefin, wherein the olefin is hydrated to a corresponding second alcohol, the second alcohol being selected from the group consisting of the same alcohol as the first alcohol, an alcohol readily separable from the first alcohol by a distillation procedure, and an alcohol forming a useful mixture when mixed with the first alcohol, the hydration reaction of the olefin being conducted in the presence of a solid phase olefin hydration catalyst, the temperature and the pressure of the hydration reaction being selected so that the olefin is largely in the vapour phase and the first alcohol and the second alcohol are each largely in a liquid phase, the olefin being in a molar excess when compared with the water content of the feed stream, and
- (b) continuously removing the first alcohol and the second alcohol as a substantially anhydrous liquid mixture.
A process for reducing the water content of a starting feed stream comprising an azeotropic or near azeotropic mixture of a first alcohol and water, comprising
- (a) effecting a hydration reaction of the water content of the feed stream with an olefin, wherein the olefin is hydrated to a corresponding second alcohol, the second alcohol being selected from the group consisting of the same alcohol as the first alcohol, an alcohol readily separable from the first alcohol by a distillation procedure, and an alcohol forming a useful mixture when mixed with the first alcohol, the hydration reaction of the olefin being conducted in the presence of a solid phase hydration catalyst, the temperature and the pressure of the hydration reaction being selected so that the olefin is largely in the vapour phase and the first alcohol and the second alcohol are each largely in a liquid phase, the olefin being in a molar excess when compared with the water content of the feed stream, the hydration reaction being conducted by catalytic distillation in a distillation column in the presence of a solid phase hydrophobic olefin hydration catalyst, the catalyst being disposed within the column in a plurality of spaced apart catalytic beds, the olefin and the feed stream being continuously fed to the column:
- and
- (b) continuously removing the first alcohol and the second alcohol as substantially anhydrous liquid mixture.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.