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US 8,710,279 B2Granted
Hydrogenolysis of ethyl acetate in alcohol separation processes
AssigneeCelanese International Corporation
InventorsR. Jay Warner, Trinity Horton, Radmila Jevtic, Victor J. Johnston, David Lee, Adam Orosco, Lincoln Sarager
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Recovery of ethanol from a crude ethanol product obtained from the hydrogenation of acetic acid and by reacting a portion of the crude ethanol product or one or more derivative streams containing ethyl acetate obtained therefrom in the presence of hydrogen, via hydrogenolysis. The one or more derivative streams comprise ethyl acetate that are reacted in via hydrogenolysis form additional ethanol that may be directly or indirectly fed to the separation zone or the hydrogenation reactor.
Claims36
A process for producing ethanol, comprising the steps of:
- hydrogenating acetic acid in a first reactor in the presence of a catalyst to form a first crude ethanol product;
- separating at least a portion of the first crude ethanol product into an ethanol product stream and a derivative stream comprising ethyl acetate;
- reacting in a second reactor at least a portion of the derivative stream in the presence of hydrogen to form a second crude ethanol product;
- flashing at least a portion of the second crude ethanol product to generate a vapor stream comprising hydrogen;
- and
- introducing the vapor stream to the first reactor, wherein substantially all of the hydrogen introduced to the first reactor is obtained from the vapor stream, and
- wherein all the hydrogen fed to the process is fed to the second reactor.
4 more elements
A process for producing ethanol, comprising the steps of:
- providing a first crude ethanol product comprising ethanol, acetic acid, ethyl acetate and water;
- separating at least a portion of the first crude ethanol product into an ethanol product stream and a derivative stream comprising ethyl acetate;
- and
- reacting at least a portion of the derivative stream in the presence of hydrogen to form a second crude ethanol product;
- flashing at least a portion of the second crude ethanol product to generate a vapor stream comprising hydrogen;
- and
- introducing the vapor stream to the first reactor, wherein substantially all of the hydrogen introduced to the first reactor is obtained from the vapor stream, and
- wherein all the hydrogen fed to the process is fed to the reaction.
5 more elements
A process for producing ethanol, comprising the steps of:
- hydrogenating acetic acid in a first reactor in the presence of a catalyst to form a first crude ethanol product;
- reacting in a second reactor at least a portion of the first crude ethanol product in the presence of hydrogen to form a second crude ethanol product;
- flashing at least a portion of the second crude ethanol product to generate a vapor stream comprising hydrogen;
- and
- introducing the vapor stream to the first reactor, wherein substantially all of the hydrogen introduced to the first reactor is obtained from the vapor stream;
- and
- separating at least a portion of the flashed second crude ethanol product in one or more columns to obtain ethanol;
- wherein all the hydrogen fed to the process is fed to the second reactor.
5 more elements
A process for producing ethanol, comprising the steps of:
- hydrogenating acetic acid in a first reactor in the presence of a catalyst to form a first crude ethanol product;
- separating at least a portion of the first crude ethanol product in a first column into a first distillate comprising ethanol, water and ethyl acetate, and a first residue comprising acetic acid;
- separating at least a portion of the first distillate in a second column into a second distillate comprising ethyl acetate and a second residue comprising ethanol and water;
- separating at least a portion of the second residue in a third column into a third distillate comprising ethanol and a third residue comprising water;
- separating at least a portion of the second distillate in a fourth column into a fourth distillate comprising acetaldehyde and a fourth residue comprising ethyl acetate;
- and
- reacting in a second reactor at least a portion of the first distillate, at least a portion of the second distillate and/or at least a portion of the fourth residue in the presence of hydrogen to form a second crude ethanol product.
4 more elements
A process for purifying a first crude ethanol product, comprising the steps of:
- providing the first crude ethanol product comprising ethanol, acetic acid, ethyl acetate and water;
- separating at least a portion of the first crude ethanol product in a first column into a first distillate comprising ethanol and a first residue comprising acetic acid;
- separating at least a portion of the first distillate in a second column into a second distillate comprising ethyl acetate and a second residue comprising ethanol and water;
- separating at least a portion of the second residue in a third column into a third distillate comprising ethanol and a third residue comprising water;
- separating at least a portion of the second distillate in a fourth column into a fourth distillate comprising acetaldehyde and a fourth residue comprising ethyl acetate;
- and
- reacting at least a portion of the first distillate, at least a portion of the second distillate and/or at least a portion of the fourth residue in the presence of hydrogen to form a second crude ethanol product.
4 more elements
A process for hydrogenolyzing ethyl acetate, comprising:
- hydrogenating acetic acid in a reactor in the presence of a catalyst to form a first crude ethanol product;
- and
- reacting an ethyl acetate-containing stream in a hydrogenolysis unit under conditions effective to form a second crude ethanol product comprising more ethanol than the ethyl acetate-containing stream, wherein the ethyl acetate-containing stream is the first crude ethanol product or a derivative stream thereof;
- flashing at least a portion of the second crude ethanol product to generate a vapor stream comprising hydrogen;
- and
- introducing the vapor stream to the reactor, wherein substantially all of the hydrogen introduced to the first reactor is obtained from the vapor stream, and
- wherein all the hydrogen fed to the process is fed to the hydrogenolysis unit.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.