Method and plant for the manufacture of carboxylic acid ester by means of a reactive distillation
AssigneeSulzer Chemtech AG
InventorsLaurent Zuber, Oliver Bailer, Stefan Sander, Heinz Meierhofer
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Abstract
Carboxylic acid ester is produced by esterification of carboxylic acid and an alcohol in a catalytic reaction zone of a first column at a pressure not greater than ambient pressure. The resultant sump product is distilled in a reaction zone of a second column at a pressure greater than 1.5 bar to obtain a second liquid sump product containing carboxylic acid ester with an carboxylic acid content of less than 100 ppm by weight at a lower end of the column. Neutralization of the second liquid sump product with a base is not required.
Claims10
A process for the manufacture of carboxylic acid ester comprising the steps of
- supplying alcohol and carboxylic acid to a catalytic reaction zone of a first column for esterification therein at a pressure not greater than ambient pressure to obtain a first vaporous head product at an upper end of the first column and a first liquid sump product at a lower end of the first column;
- supplying heat to the tower end of the first column to effect said esterificatlon;
- directing the first liquid sum product into a second column having material exchange means therein;
- distilling the first liquid sump product in a reaction zone of the second column at a pressure greater than 1.5 bar to obtain a second vaporous head product containing carboxylic acid at an upper end of the second column and a second liquid sump product containing carboxyllc acid ester at a lower end of the second column;
- supplying heat to the second liquid sump product at said pressure greater than 1.5 bar;
- and
- removing the second liquid sump product with an a carboxylic acid content of less than 100 ppm by weight.
A process as set forth in claim I wherein the catalytic reaction zone of the first column includes catalyst-containing inserts providing for contact between the catalyst and a liquid phase flowing through said zone and between the liquid phase and a vapor phase flowing through said zone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.