# US 2014/0155658 A1 · Method for desorbing and regenerating butanol-adsorbing hydrophobic macroporous polymer adsorbent

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- Number: US 2014/0155658 A1
- Document ID: US20140155658A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/130,887
- Filed: 2011-07-05
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2011-07-05
- Assignees: Nanjing University of Technology
- Inventors: Hanjie Ying; Xiaoqing Lin; Jianshen Fan; Jinglan Wu; Yong Chen; Xiaochun Chen; Jinglin Xie; Jian Xiong; Jianxin Bai
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140155658A1

## CPC

- C07C 29/76: by physical treatment
- B01D 15/203: {Equilibration or regeneration}
- B01J 20/3425: {of sorbents or filter aids comprising organic materials}
- B01J 20/3475: {in the liquid phase}
- C08J 7/02: with solvents, e.g. swelling agents
- C08J 11/02: of solvents, plasticisers or unreacted monomers
- B01D 15/426: {Specific type of solvent}
- C08J 2325/04: Homopolymers or copolymers of styrene
- C07C: ACYCLIC OR CARBOCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
- B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28)
- B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
- C08J: WORKING-UP; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; AFTER-TREATMENT NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F, C08G or C08H (working, e.g. shaping, of plastics B29)

## Abstract

The present invention provides a method for desorbing and regenerating a butanol-adsorbing hydrophobic macroporous polymer adsorbent, comprising: successively eluting the hydrophobic macroporous polymer adsorbent with butanol adsorbed therein using a water soluble low-boiling-point polar solvent and water. After a butanol-containing solution, such as a butanol fermentation liquor, has been adsorbed by a hydrophobic macroporous polymer adsorbent, the butanol adsorbed in the adsorbent can be thoroughly dissolved and removed by the desorption and regeneration method of the present invention; furthermore, the adsorbent can be directly regenerated to recover its adsorption capability on a fixed bed adsorbing the butanol fermentation liquor, wherein the next stage of adsorption process can be directly entered without taking the adsorbent out from the fixed bed; therefore it saves a great deal of time and improves the regeneration efficiency. The method provided in the present invention has a simple process, a short separation time, easy, fast and complete desorption and regeneration, low equipment investmentand pollution, and reduced energy consumption, and therefore production is easy on a large scale.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for desorbing and regenerating a butanol-adsorbing hydrophobic macroporous polymer adsorbent comprising: successively eluting the hydrophobic macroporous polymer adsorbent with butanol adsorbed therein using a water soluble low-boiling-point polar solvent and water.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method for desorbing and regenerating according to claim 1, wherein the hydrophobic macroporous polymer adsorbent with butanol adsorbed therein adsorbs butanol by adsorbing butanol fermentation broth.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method for desorbing and regenerating according to claim 1, further comprising: eluting the hydrophobic macroporous polymer adsorbent with water before eluting it with the water soluble low-boiling-point polar solvent;
preferably, eluting the hydrophobic macroporous polymer adsorbent with water is performed at room temperature, preferably 20-25° C.; wherein water for elution is in an amount of 1-2 bed volumes and at a flow rate of 0.5-0.8 bed volumes/hour.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method for desorbing and regenerating according to claim 1, wherein the hydrophobic macroporous polymer adsorbent is a non-polarity and/or weak-polarity hydrophobic macroporous polymer adsorbent;
more preferably, the non-polarity hydrophobic macroporous polymer adsorbent has a skeleton of styrene diethylbenzene; the weak-polarity hydrophobic macroporous polymer adsorbent has a skeleton of polyacrylamide or styrene diethylbenzene, and has a polar functional group containing nitrogen, oxygen or sulfur.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method for desorbing and regenerating according to claim 4, wherein the inner surface of the hydrophobic macroporous polymer adsorbent is 100-2000 m2/g;
preferably, the particle size of the hydrophobic macroporous polymer adsorbent is 20-60 mesh;
preferably, the pore diameter of the hydrophobic macroporous polymer adsorbent is 1-180 nm;
preferably, the pore volume of the hydrophobic macroporous polymer adsorbent is 0.4-3 cm3/g;
preferably, the wet density of the hydrophobic macroporous polymer adsorbent is 590-750 g/L;
preferably, the water content of the hydrophobic macroporous polymer adsorbent is 40-80%.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method for desorbing and regenerating according to claim 1, wherein the butanol is n-butanol.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method for desorbing and regenerating according to claim 1, wherein the water soluble low-boiling-point polar solvent is lower alcohol, ketone, ether, ethyl benzene or ethyl acetate, or a mixture of any two or more solvents selected from the group consisting of lower alcohol, ketone, ether, ethyl benzene or ethyl acetate in any proportion, or a mixture of water with any one or more solvents selected from the group consisting of lower alcohol, ketone, ether, ethyl benzene or ethyl acetate in any proportion;
preferably, the water soluble low-boiling-point polar solvent is methanol, ethanol, propanol, acetone, ethyl acetate or ethyl benzene, or a mixture of any two or more solvents selected from the group consisting of methanol, ethanol, propanol, acetone, ethyl acetate or ethyl benzene in any proportion, or a mixture of water with any one or more solvents selected from the group consisting of methanol, ethanol, propanol, acetone, ethyl acetate or ethyl benzene in any proportion.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method for desorbing and regenerating according to claim 1, wherein in the method, the hydrophobic macroporous polymer adsorbent is eluted with the water soluble low-boiling-point polar solvent at a flow rate of 0.5-10 bed volumes/hour, more preferably 0.6-1.5 bed volumes/hour and in amount of 0.5-10 bed volumes, more preferably 1-4 bed volumes.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method for desorbing and regenerating according to claim 1, wherein in the method, the hydrophobic macroporous polymer adsorbent is eluted with the water soluble low-boiling-point polar solvent at a temperature of 10-50° C., preferably 20-40° C.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method for desorbing and regenerating according to claim 1, wherein in the method, after being eluted with the water soluble low-boiling-point polar solvent, the hydrophobic macroporous polymer adsorbent is eluted with water in amount of 1-2 bed volumes and at a flow rate of 0.5-1 bed volumes/hour.