Pprocess and apparatus for effecient recovery of dichlorohydrins

An apparatus suitable for producing dichlorohydrin(s) from multihydroxylated-aliphatic hydrocarbon compound(s) and/or ester(s) thereof comprising:

• (1) a reactor system suitable for carrying out hydrochlorination of multi-hydroxylated aliphatic hydrocarbon compound(s) and/or ester(s) thereof comprising one or more reactors connected in series or in parallel;
• (2) a separation system comprising at least one liquid-vapor contacting device suitable for distillation of a reactor effluent stream obtainable from the reactor system and, optionally, at least one flash vessel;
• (3) a first condensation system comprising a first cooling device and optionally a first reservoir connected to the cooling device for accumulation of condensate from the first cooling device;
• and
• (4) a second condensation system comprising a second cooling device and optionally (a) a second reservoir connected to the second cooling device for accumulation of condensate from the second cooling device and/or (b) a liquid-liquid phase separation device connected to the second cooling device for separating a liquid phase comprising aqueous and organic components into an aqueous phase and an organic phase separate from the aqueous phase;
• wherein the at least one reactor system is connected to the separation system for conducting a reactor effluent stream from the reactor system to the separation system for distillation and/or fractionation of the reactor effluent stream;
• the separation system is connected to the first condensation system for conducting a first vapor-phase distillation and/or fractionation effluent stream from the separation system to the first condensation system;
• the first condensation system is connected to the second condensation system for conducting a second vapor-phase effluent stream from the first condensation system to the second condensation system;
• and the first condensation system is connected to the separation system for conducting a fraction of a first condensed liquid-phase effluent stream from the first condensation system to the separation system.