# US 2025/0084017 A1 · Ethanol dehydration process > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2025/0084017 A1 - Document ID: US20250084017A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/439,226 - Filed: 2024-02-12 - Published: 2025-03-13 - Earliest claimed: 2023-09-11 - Assignees: Scientific Design Company, Inc. - Applicants: Scientific Design Company, Inc. - Inventors: Saurabh KATIYAR - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20250084017A1 ## CPC - C07C 1/24: by elimination of water - C07C 5/3332: {with metal oxides or metal sulfides} - C07C 7/09: by fractional condensation - C07D 301/10: with catalysts containing silver or gold - C07C 2521/04: Alumina - C07C: ACYCLIC OR CARBOCYCLIC COMPOUNDS - C07D: HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS (macromolecular compounds C08) ## Abstract A process for the dehydration of ethanol to ethylene with reduced steam consumption and the use of latent heat of condensation to generate steam. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A process for the dehydration of ethanol to ethylene comprising the steps of: (a) forming a reactor feed mixture by blending an ethanol vapor stream with a superheated steam stream; (b) supplying the reactor feed mixture to the ethanol dehydration reactor; (c) dehydrating the ethanol in the reactor feed mixture in ethanol dehydration reactor to form an ethylene product stream; (d) supplying the ethylene product stream to a steam generator at a pressure of about 0.2 to about 0.3 MPa and a temperature of about 125° C. to about 140° C.; (e) cooling the ethylene product stream to below a dew point of the ethylene product stream to release the heat of condensation; (f) generating a second process steam stream by the heat of condensation, the process steam stream having a temperature of about 95° C. to about 120° C.; (g) passing from the steam generator the second process steam stream at a pressure of about 0.125 MPa to about 0.2 MPa; and (h) compressing the second process steam stream to a pressure of about 0.3 MPa to about 0.45 MPa. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 further comprising the steps of: directing the ethylene product stream outward from the steam generator; and separating by flashing the ethylene product stream into a steam generator condensate and a steam generator vapor stream. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the ethanol dehydration reactor is a single stage adiabatic reactor with a packed bed of dehydration catalyst. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the ethanol dehydration reactor is a single stage adiabatic reactor with a packed bed of γ-alumina dehydration catalyst. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the reactor feed mixture has a temperature of about 425 to about 500° C. and the ethylene product stream leaves the reactor at a temperature of about 325 to 425° C. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein in step (a) the reactor feed mixture is formed by blending the ethanol vapor stream with a superheated steam stream at a weight ratio of 1:1 to 1:5. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the ethylene product stream contains about 95 mol % to about 99.5 mol % ethylene on a non-aqueous basis. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the process further comprises preheating the ethanol vapor stream in a heat-exchanger by thermal exchange with the ethylene product stream. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein after the compressing step the temperature of the process steam stream is about 225° C. to about 275° C. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the ethylene product stream has a temperature of about 325 to 425° C. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the ethylene product stream contains from about 95 mol % to about 99.5 mol % ethylene, on a non-aqueous basis. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the temperature of the reactor feed mixture is below about 480°. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the reactor feed mixture is supplied at a pressure of about 0.15 to about 0.4 MPa (absolute) to the ethanol dehydration reactor. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the ethylene is subjected to a caustic wash to remove impurities. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 where bioethanol is the source of the ethanol vapor stream. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the ethylene is contacted with oxygen in the presence of a silver-based epoxidation catalyst in a fixed-bed tubular reactor to produce ethylene oxide. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the ethylene is contacted with oxygen in the presence of a silver-based epoxidation catalyst in a fixed-bed tubular reactor to produce ethylene oxide, wherein the reactor is operated at a work rate of between about 130 and about 300 kg/m3/h. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the silver-based epoxidation catalyst contains about 15 wt % to about 40 wt % silver. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the ethylene is contacted with oxygen in the presence of a silver-based epoxidation catalyst in a fixed-bed tubular reactor to produce ethylene oxide, wherein the reactor is operated at a temperature of between about 240° C. to about 280° C. ### Claim 20 A process for the dehydration of ethanol to ethylene comprising the steps of: (a) forming a reactor feed mixture by blending an ethanol vapor stream with a superheated steam stream at a weight ratio of 1:1 to 1:5, the reactor feed mixture having a temperature of about 425 to about 500° C.; (b) supplying the reactor feed mixture to the ethanol dehydration reactor, wherein the ethanol dehydration reactor is a single stage adiabatic reactor with a packed bed of γ-alumina dehydration catalyst; (c) dehydrating the ethanol in the reactor feed mixture in ethanol dehydration reactor to form an ethylene product stream, the ethylene product stream having a temperature of about 325° C. to about 425° C. upon leaving the reactor; (d) supplying the ethylene product stream to a steam generator at a pressure of about 0.2 to about 0.3 MPa and a temperature of about 125° C. to about 140° C.; (e) cooling the ethylene product stream to below a dew point of the ethylene product stream to release the heat of condensation; (f) generating a second process steam stream by the heat of condensation, the process steam stream having a temperature of about 95° C. to about 120° C.; (g) passing from the steam generator the second process steam stream at a pressure of about 0.125 MPa to about 0.20 MPa; and (h) compressing the second process steam stream to a pressure of about 0.3 MPa to about 0.45 MPa.