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US 7,459,589 B2Granted
Process for the preparation of an alkylene glycol
AssigneeShell Oil Company
InventorBernardus Franciscus Josef Marie Ramakers
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Abstract
The invention provides for the utilization of microchannel apparatus in a process for the preparation of an alkylene glycol by the reaction of a corresponding alkylene oxide and water.
Claims11
A process for the preparation of an alkylene glycol by the reaction of a corresponding alkylene oxide and water, which process comprises
- a) flowing alkylene oxide and water through a microchannel reactor, wherein the alkylene oxide and water undergo an exothermic reaction to form the corresponding alkylene glycol,
- b) transferring heat from the microchannel reactor to a heat transfer medium, and
- c) recovering the alkylene glycol product from the microchannel reactor.
A process for the preparation of a mono-alkylene glycol by the reaction of a corresponding alkylene oxide and water, which process comprises
- a) reacting the alkylene oxide and water in a first reactor under a first set of conditions and in the presence of a catalyst so as to achieve vapor phase conversion to the mono-alkylene glycol,
- b) altering the conditions in the first reactor to a second set of conditions whereby glycols deposited on the surface of the catalyst are removed,
- c) re-establishing the first set of conditions in the first reactor in order to repeat step a), and
- d) recovering the mono-alkylene glycol from the vapor phase mixture produced in step a) and/or step b).
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.