# US 5,710,261 A · Process for the separation of alcohols by distillation

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- Number: US 5,710,261 A
- Document ID: US5710261A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/594,506
- Filed: 1996-01-31
- Granted: 1998-01-20
- Earliest claimed: 1992-04-24
- Assignees: Henkel Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien
- Inventors: Wilhelm Johannisbauer; Michael Nitsche; Lutz Jeromin
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5710261A

## CPC

- C07H 15/04: attached to an oxygen atom of the saccharide radical
- Y10S 159/10: Organic
- Y10S 159/16: Vacuum
- C07H: SUGARS; DERIVATIVES THEREOF; NUCLEOSIDES; NUCLEOTIDES; NUCLEIC ACIDS (derivatives of aldonic or saccharic acids C07C, C07D; aldonic acids, saccharic acids C07C59/105, C07C59/285; cyanohydrins C07C255/16; glycals C07D; compounds of unknown constitution C07G; polysaccharides, derivatives thereof C08B; DNA or RNA concerning genetic engineering, vectors, e.g. plasmids, or their isolation, preparation or purification C12N15/00; sugar industry C13)
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

## Abstract

Aliphatic alcohols with up to 30 and especially with 6 to 18 carbon atoms are separated from a mixture of alkyl glycosides and alcohols which are unreacted during the production of these glycosides, by single or multi-stage distillation. The alcohols are distilled off by a drop film evaporator to impoverish the reaction mixture to residual alcohol contents of 5 wt % and under. The strip load of the drop film evaporator is set to at least 1.0 m.sup.3 /h m, especially at least 1.8 m.sup.3 /h m and preferably at least 3.0 m.sup.3 /h m. It is possible to reduce the alcohol content of the product to any value between 0.1 and 5 wt % at acceptable overall cost.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process for reducing the aliphatic alcohol content of a mixture comprised of an alkyl polyglycoside and an aliphatic alcohol having up to about 30 carbon atoms comprising passing a mixture comprised of an alkyl polyglycoside and one or more aliphatic alcohols having up to about 30 carbon atoms through a falling film evaporator wherein the linear load in said evaporator is at least 1.0 m.sup.3 /h m.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein said linear load is at least 3.0 m.sup.3 /h m.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein the aliphatic alcohol content is reduced to a value of from about 50% to about 5% by weight.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein the aliphatic alcohol content is reduced to a value of from about 30% to about 10% by weight.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein said falling film evaporator is a forced circulation evaporator.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The process of claim 5 wherein the ratio of feed to circulating liquid is from about 100:1 to about 1:5 and said linear load is at least 1.0 m.sup.3 /h m.

### Claim 7

A multi-stage process for reducing the aliphatic alcohol content of a mixture comprised of an alkyl polyglycoside and an aliphatic alcohol having up to about 30 carbon atoms comprising passing a mixture comprised of an alkyl polyglycoside and one or more aliphatic alcohols having up to about 30 carbon atoms through a first falling film evaporator and then passing the output of said first evaporator through one or more additional falling film evaporators arranged serially wherein the linear load in each of said evaporators is at least 1.0 m.sup.3 /h m.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The process of claim 7 wherein said linear load in each of said evaporators is at least 3.0 m.sup.3 /h m.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The process of claim 7 wherein the aliphatic alcohol content is reduced to a value of from about 50% to about 5% by weight.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The process of claim 9 wherein the aliphatic alcohol content is reduced to a value of from about 30% to about 10% by weight.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The process of claim 7 wherein the stages preceding the last stage are operated at a sump temperature of from about 100.degree. C. to about 220.degree. C. and a pressure of from about 0.5 mbar to about 20 mbar.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The process of claim 11 wherein said sump temperature is from about 140.degree. C. to about 200.degree. and said pressure is from about 1 mbar to about 10 mbar.

### Claim 13 (depends on 7)

The process of claim 7 wherein the last stage is operated at a sump temperature of from about 120.degree. C. to about 250.degree. C. and a pressure of from about 0.1 mbar to about 10 mbar.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The process of claim 12 wherein said sump temperature is from about 160.degree. C. to about 230.degree. and said pressure is from about 0.5 mbar to about 5 mbar.