Back to results
US 2026/0285790 A1Published application
Method for purification of ethanol using extractive distillation
AssigneeAir Company Holdings, Inc.
InventorsKonstantina Kritikos, Yinxian Wang, Stafford W. Sheehan, Chi Chen, Lubo Zhou
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Provided herein are methods and systems for the purification of food-grade ethanol using extractive distillation with propylene glycol as the extraction solvent. The systems and processes include one or more separators and distillation columns, and optionally provide a propylene glycol recycle stream.
Claims33
A method for the purification of food-grade ethanol comprising:
- combining (a) an alcohol feed comprising ethanol and propanol with (b) a propylene glycol feed comprising propylene glycol to produce a purification feed;
- distilling the purification feed at an extractive distillation temperature and an extractive distillation pressure to produce (a) an ethanol product mixture comprising ethanol and (b) a propylene glycol mixture comprising propylene glycol and propanol;
- and
- separating the propylene glycol mixture at a separation temperature and a separation pressure to produce (a) a propanol product mixture comprising propanol and (b) a propylene glycol product mixture comprising propylene glycol.
1 more element
(canceled)
-13. (canceled)
-16. (canceled)
(canceled)
-32. (canceled)
-46. (canceled)
A system for the purification of food-grade ethanol comprising:
- an alcohol feed;
- a propylene glycol feed;
- an extractive separator comprising an alcohol feed inlet, a propylene glycol feed inlet, an ethanol outlet, and a propylene glycol mixture outlet;
- wherein the alcohol feed is coupled to the alcohol feed inlet, and the propylene glycol feed is coupled to the propylene glycol feed inlet;
- and
- a propylene glycol separator comprising a propylene glycol mixture inlet, a propanol outlet, and a propylene glycol outlet;
- wherein the propylene glycol mixture inlet is coupled to the propylene glycol mixture outlet from the extractive separator.
4 more elements
-52. (canceled)
-55. (canceled)
-58. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.