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US 8,415,506 B2Granted
Energy efficient acetone drying method
AssigneeDynaSep Inc.
InventorsBrian J. Waibel, Hans Schonemann, David J. Lawrence, Paul Robinson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides energy and economically efficient and environmentally responsible processes for using acetone to dry, dehydrate and/or dewater various hydrated feedstocks.
Claims43
A process of recovering acetone from an aqueous solution comprising
- a) contacting an aqueous solution comprising at least about 40 wt % water and at least about 30 wt % acetone with vapor phase carbon dioxide in an amount that is about 10-50 wt/wt % of the aqueous solution, wherein the carbon dioxide disrupts the aqueous solution into a biphasic mixture comprising an acetone-rich phase and a water-rich phase;
- and
- b) non-thermally separating the acetone-rich phase from the water-rich phase, thereby recovering substantially all the acetone from the aqueous solution.
A process of drying hydrated feedstock at ambient temperature, comprising the following ordered steps of:
- a) contacting the hydrated feedstock comprising water and insoluble solid with acetone, thereby yielding a first slurry comprised of at least about 30% acetone, water and the insoluble solid, wherein the acetone extracts the water from the insoluble solid;
- b) extracting the acetone and water from the insoluble solid by contacting with liquid phase carbon dioxide;
- thereby yielding a second slurry comprised of carbon dioxide, acetone, water and the insoluble solid, wherein the carbon dioxide displaces the water and acetone in the insoluble solid;
- c) separating the insoluble solid from the second slurry;
- thereby yielding insoluble solid saturated with liquid phase carbon dioxide and a solution comprising liquid phase carbon dioxide, acetone and water;
- d) depressurizing the insoluble solid to atmospheric pressure to release gas phase carbon dioxide, thereby yielding dried or dewatered insoluble solid;
- e) contacting the solution of step c) with vapor phase carbon dioxide, thereby splitting the solution into an upper acetone-rich phase and a lower water-rich phase;
- and
- f) non-thermally separating the upper acetone-rich phase from the lower water-rich phase.
6 more elements
A process of acetone-drying hydrated feedstock at ambient temperature, comprising:
- a) contacting the hydrated feedstock comprising water and insoluble solid with acetone, thereby yielding a first slurry comprised of acetone, water and the insoluble solid, wherein the acetone extracts the water from the insoluble solid;
- b) separating the insoluble solid within the first slurry;
- thereby yielding insoluble solid saturated with acetone and a first solution comprising acetone and water;
- wherein the insoluble solid is dehydrated, and
- c) recovering the acetone from the solution of step b) comprising contacting the solution with vapor phase carbon dioxide, thereby splitting the solution into an acetone-rich phase and a water-rich phase and separating the acetone-rich phase from the water-rich phase;
- wherein the acetone is recovered.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.