Breaking a Methanol/Methyl Methacrylate Azeotrope Using Pressure Swing Distillation
AssigneesDow Global Technologies LLC, Rohm and Haas Company
InventorsJohn G. Pendergast, William G. Worley, Stacy W. Hoy, IV, Jacob M. Crosthwaite
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Abstract
A methanol/MMA azeotrope is broken or avoided by a method comprising the steps of (1) raising the pressure within a first vessel, e.g., a distillation column, that contains a methanol/MMA azeotrope, (2) collecting the azeotrope as a liquid, and then in a second, separate vessel, e.g., another distillation column, (3) raising the pressure sufficiently to allow for the breaking of or avoidance of the azeotrope and the recovery of the methanol.
Claims6
A process for breaking or minimizing a methanol/methyl methacrylate (MMA) azeotrope, the process comprising the steps of:
- (A) Feeding a liquid stream comprising methanol and MMA to a first distillation column operated at a first pressure and equipped with a reboiler;
- (B) Separating the liquid stream within the first distillation column into a first distillation column overheads stream comprising a methanol/MMA azeotrope and a first distillation column bottoms stream;
- (C) Transferring the first distillation column overheads stream to a second distillation column operated at a second pressure, the operating pressure of the second distillation column greater than the operating pressure of the first distillation column;
- (D) Separating the first distillation column overheads stream within the second distillation column into a second distillation column overheads stream comprising an amount of methanol/MMA azeotrope that is less than the amount of methanol/MMA azeotrope in the first column overheads stream, and a second distillation column bottoms stream;
- and
- (E) Recovering at least a part of the second distillation column overheads stream.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.