System and process for producing glycols
AssigneeSabic Global Technologies B.V.
InventorsJai Prakash JAIN, Uma SANKAR
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Abstract
A system and a method for producing ethylene glycol are disclosed. Alkylene oxide and water are flowed into a first reactor unit and subjecting the alkylene oxide and water, in the first reactor unit, to first reaction conditions such that an effluent of the first reactor unit comprises an alkylene glycol, unreacted alkylene oxide, and unreacted water. At least a portion of the unreacted alkylene oxide may be routed to a second reaction unit and subjected to reaction conditions sufficient to produce additional alkylene glycol, wherein the second reactor unit is a reactive distillation column.
Claims20
A method of producing alkylene glycol, the method comprising:
- flowing a feed stream comprising alkylene oxide and water into a first reactor unit;
- subjecting the alkylene oxide and water, in the first reactor unit, to first reaction conditions such that an effluent of the first reactor unit comprises an alkylene glycol, unreacted alkylene oxide, and unreacted water;
- flowing at least a portion of the unreacted alkylene oxide and unreacted water to a second reactor unit;
- and
- subjecting the unreacted alkylene oxide and unreacted water in the second reactor unit to second reaction conditions sufficient to produce additional alkylene glycol;
- wherein the second reactor unit is a reactive distillation column and higher mono alkylene to di alkylene glycol ratio is produced even at lower water to alkylene oxide ratio.
A method of producing ethylene glycol, the method comprising:
- flowing ethylene oxide and water into a first reactor:
- subjecting the ethylene oxide and water in the first reactor to reaction conditions sufficient to produce ethylene glycol such that a first effluent stream of the first reactor comprises mono ethylene glycol, unreacted ethylene oxide, and unreacted water;
- separating, in a separation unit, the first effluent stream into a first stream comprising primarily unreacted water and unreacted ethylene oxide, collectively and a second stream comprising primarily unreacted ethylene oxide, unreacted water, and mono ethylene glycol, collectively;
- flowing the second stream into a second reactor;
- and
- subjecting the second stream in the second reactor to reaction conditions sufficient to produce additional mono ethylene glycol;
- wherein the second reactor unit is a reactive distillation unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.