Process for the recovery of a polyol from an aqueous solution
AssigneeBoard of Trustees of Michigan State University
InventorsShubham P. Chopade, Atulkumar D. Dhale, Christopher W. Kiesling, Angela M. Clark, James E. Jackson, Dennis J. Miller
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Abstract
A process for the separation of a polyol or multiple polyols in admixture with other organic compounds, usually those produced with the polyol, is described. The process uses a distillation in a column (11) of a cyclic acetal from an aqueous solution which acetal is formed in a reaction mixture of the polyol and an aldehyde or ketone. The polyols, such as ethylene glycol and propylene glycol, are staple articles of commerce with many uses.
Claims12
A continuous process for recovering a polyol from an aqueous solution containing other organic compounds which comprises:
- (a) reacting in a combination reaction and distillation vessel a reaction mixture of the polyol and an aldehyde or ketone containing 1 to 4 carbon atoms in the aqueous solution, wherein the reaction mixture is continuously introduced into the vessel containing a catalyst with a molar excess of the aldehyde or ketone over the polyol to produce a cyclic acetal in the aqueous solution;
- (b) separating the acetal from the mixture at elevated temperatures;
- and
- (c) hydrolyzing the cyclic acetal produced to recover the polyol as a liquid and the acetaldehyde or ketone which is separated as a vapor from the polyol.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.