Manufacture of alkylated urea or melamine formaldehyde with in-process alcohol recovery

An apparatus for preparing alkylated urea or melaimine formaldehyde resins from an alcohol having a boiling point higher than the boiling point of water comprising:

• a. reactor having heat and agitating means;
• b. a fractionating column having at least one theoretical plate of separation, and having a rectifying section above a stripping section;
• c. first conduit means for passing a mixture of said alcohol and water vapor from said reactor to the junction of the rectifying section and stripping section of said column;
• d. reboiler means connected to the bottom of said column, said reboiler having controls adapted to maintain a temperature below the boiling point of said alcohol;
• e. second conduit means connecting said reboiler and said reactor and adapted to return alcohol from said reboiler to said reactor;
• f. a condenser having coolant circulating means;
• g. third conduit means connecting rectifying section of said column to said condenser and adapted to pass a mixture of said alcohol and water vapor from said rectifying section to said condenser;
• h. a phase separator device capable of separating an alcohol phase comprising said alcohol from a water phase, said separator having an outlet at the bottom thereof for removing the water phase;
• i. fourth conduit means connecting said phase separator to said condenser and adapted to pass a condensed mixture of said alcohol and water from said condenser into said separator;
• j. fifth conduit means connecting the top portion of said phase separator to the top portion of said column and adapted to pass the alcohol phase from said separator into the top portion of said column.