Method for preparing neopentyl glycol

A method for preparing neopentyl glycol, the method comprising:

• feeding a feed stream containing formaldehyde and isobutyraldehyde to an aldol reactor and subjecting the feed stream to an aldol condensation reaction in the presence of a catalyst to obtain a first reaction product containing hydroxypivaldehyde (HPA);
• feeding the first reaction product to an aldol purification column and obtaining an aldol purification column upper discharge stream containing unreacted isobutyraldehyde, the catalyst, and a catalyst salt, and an aldol purification column lower discharge stream containing hydroxypivaldehyde;
• feeding the aldol purification column upper discharge stream to a decanter and separating an organic phase stream containing the unreacted isobutyraldehyde and the catalyst and an aqueous phase stream containing the catalyst salt;
• recovering the unreacted isobutyraldehyde and the catalyst from the organic phase stream, and feeding the aqueous phase stream to a saponification reactor to reduce the catalyst salt to a catalyst and recovering the catalyst;
• feeding the aldol purification column lower discharge stream to a hydrogenation reactor and subjecting the aldol purification column lower discharge stream to a hydrogenation reaction to obtain a second reaction product containing neopentyl glycol;
• and
• obtaining the neopentyl glycol from the second reaction product.