To Distillation Column Patents (Class 203/96)
  • Patent number: 4902385
    Abstract: Practically anhydrous crude sec-butyl alcohol produced by catalytic direct hydration of n-butenes is freed by means of water from the azeotropically boiling and low-boiling by-products by continuous azeotropic distillation in a separation column, the prepurified anhydrous sec-butyl alcohol obtained is withdrawn and the high-boiling by-products are subsequently separated in a separate column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1988
    Date of Patent: February 20, 1990
    Assignee: Deutsche Texaco Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Gunther Osterburg
  • Patent number: 4898644
    Abstract: A process for removing volatile acids from aqueous solutions which involves steam stripping a volatile acid from an aqueous solution and contacting the vaporized acid with a reactable cation to form a salt of the acid. A preferred embodiment of apparatus comprises an elongated distillation column having therein a plurality of zones or stages wherein the volatile acid in the aqueous feed stream is vaporized by steam and then the vaporized acid is carried by the steam into a salt formation zone or stage to react with a reactable cation to form a salt of the acid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 1988
    Date of Patent: February 6, 1990
    Assignee: QO Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventor: Wendell E. Van Horn
  • Patent number: 4892624
    Abstract: Distillation residues from the purification of caprolactam are worked up by heating in the presence of sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide and in the presence of a high-boiling hydrocarbon at from 250.degree. to 500.degree. C. and continuously removing the caprolactam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 1988
    Date of Patent: January 9, 1990
    Assignee: BASF Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Hugo Fuchs
  • Patent number: 4863607
    Abstract: The present invention is a method for using water to remove amine from an oil-amine component. The oil-amine component is typically produced in prior art processes using an amine having an inverse critical solution temperature with water to break emulsions and sludges. The steps of the present invention include adding water to the oil-amine component in an amount sufficient to form a water-amine azeotrope with substantially all the amine in the oil-amine component followed by heating to remove the azeotrope. The method of the present invention may be used to remove amine from an oil-amine component even where the amine is present in an amount as low as 10% or less by weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1987
    Date of Patent: September 5, 1989
    Assignee: Resources Conservation Co.
    Inventors: John E. Andrew, Howard R. Herrigel, George R. Jones, James C. Nowak, Mark K. Tose, Robert Whalen
  • Patent number: 4851086
    Abstract: Crude phenol, containing AMS by-product, and MBF impurity, is distilled in the presence of water to separate MBF impurity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1983
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1989
    Assignees: The Lummus Company, Allied Corporation
    Inventors: Ali M. Khonsari, Jamin Chen, George D. Suciu, William B. Fisher, Lamberto Crescentini
  • Patent number: 4838998
    Abstract: The amount of water required to effect efficient separation of a mixture of sulfuric acid and carboxylic acids by distillation, is reduced, by diluting the mixture while in the distillation column in a prescribed manner with sufficient water to provide a water:sulfuric acid mole ratio of about 1:1. The heat generated by the internal dilution reduces the energy requirement of the column. Feeding the dilution water to the column below the feed mixture is a key element of the process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1987
    Date of Patent: June 13, 1989
    Assignee: Rohm and Haas Company
    Inventors: Philip D. T. Davies, Lawrence S. Kirch
  • Patent number: 4828660
    Abstract: A continuous process and apparatus for the repurification of ultrapure liquids. An oxidant solution comprising ultrapure sulfuric acid, peroxydisulfuric acid, and ultrapure water is continuously withdrawn from a process after use. The withdrawn oxidant is reprocessed continuously by contacting with alumina to remove fluoride ions. Water is continuously separated or stripped from the oxidant solution by heating the solution and bubbling an inert gas therethrough causing the water to vaporize from the solution. The separated oxidant is continuously distilled and condensed to form a purified stream of sulfuric acid. The major portion of this stream is continuously returned to the process. The remaining minor portion is continuously cooled, subjected to analysis for purity, and diluted with ultrapure water. The diluted sulfuric acid is further cooled prior to electrochemical treatment in the anode compartment of an electrochemical cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1986
    Date of Patent: May 9, 1989
    Assignee: Athens Corporation
    Inventors: R. Scot Clark, Joe G. Hoffman, John B. Davison, Alan W. Jones, Allen H. Jones, Jr., David W. Persichini, Wallace I. Yuan, Bruce A. Lipisko
  • Patent number: 4783242
    Abstract: A distillation system and process for removing vaporizable components from an aqueous medium including a distillation column for receiving an aqueous medium containing vaporizable components and passing steam through the column such that the steam directly contacts the aqueous medium to vaporize at least a portion of the components, a condenser in a communication with the column to condense at least a portion of the vapor in the column, a separator in communication with the condenser to separate flash vapor from liquid condensate in the separator and a thermal compressor in communication with the separator and the column to remove vapor from the separator and to inject exhaust steam from the thermal compressor into the column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 1986
    Date of Patent: November 8, 1988
    Assignee: The Dow Chemical Company
    Inventor: Lanny A. Robbins
  • Patent number: 4778568
    Abstract: Isomer mixtures of 1,3- and 1,4-bis-(2-hydroxyhexafluoroprop-2-yl)-benzene are separated by a steam distillation in the presence of CS.sub.2. On cooling of the steam distillate, a solid precipitates which is composed mainly of the 1,4-isomer. After the solid has been separated off, an aqueous-organic liquid-phase mixture remains, the organic phase of which mainly contains the 1,3-isomer. The pure isomers are obtained by recrystallization or distillation respectively. These are mainly intermediates in the polymer field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 1987
    Date of Patent: October 18, 1988
    Assignee: Hoechst Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Klaus-Albert Schneider, Gunter Siegemund
  • Patent number: 4767503
    Abstract: This invention is a method of purifying crude caprolactam. The improved method comprises taking a portion of a process stream of crude caprolactam having low boiling impurities and distilling the stream in the presence of water by fractional distillation into an overhead containing water and low boiling impurities and bottoms of caprolactam having improved purity and low water content.The improvement also comprises taking a low water content stream of crude caprolactam having low boiling impurities and adding water to the stream and distilling the stream by fractional distillation as described above.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 1983
    Date of Patent: August 30, 1988
    Assignee: Allied Corporation
    Inventors: Lamberto Crescentini, Joseph D. DeCaprio, William B. Fisher, Roy J. Lilley, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4744868
    Abstract: A stripping column is comprised of one or more mixing channels situated in parallel arrangement, each channel in the form of a zigzag strip through which liquid cascades in a series of falls alternating with a corresponding series of pools. Simultaneously, vapor travels upwardly in a counter-current manner, intimately mixing with the liquid when forced through each successive pool. The column is especially useful in separating alcohol from fermented mash. The column is preferably employed with three other identical columns in a parallelogram structure to make a distillation unit of greater efficiency and capacity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1986
    Date of Patent: May 17, 1988
    Assignee: University of Florida
    Inventors: Ferdinand le Grand, Carlos E. Odio
  • Patent number: 4720327
    Abstract: Distillative separation of liquid mixtures of one or more water-insoluble substances which have boiling points higher than that of water and one or more substances which have boiling points lower than that of water or which form azeotropes having boiling points lower than that of water, wherein the mixture to be distilled is mixed with a quantity of water such that the boiling point of the water under the pressure applied limits the bottom temperature of the mixture of substances to be separated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1982
    Date of Patent: January 19, 1988
    Assignee: BASF Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Werner Aquila, Axel Nissen, Gerd Kaibel, Michael Horner, Walter Rebafka
  • Patent number: 4695349
    Abstract: A process is disclosed for distillation and/or stripping in a column, the lower portion of which is heated and the upper portion of which is cooled. The heating and cooling facilities thereof are coupled with each other by means of a heat pump system. In order to reduce the energy input, the invention provides for driving the heat pump system by means of expansion of a gas or vapor, and with the gas or vapor, after expansion, utilized as the stripping gas in the column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1985
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1987
    Assignee: Linde Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Hans Becker, Gerhard Linde
  • Patent number: 4690733
    Abstract: In a combination solvent extraction-steam distillation process for the recovery of aromatic hydrocarbons, the improvement comprising(a) introducing high pressure steam into a steam ejector;(b) passing the steam from step (a) to a first heat exchanger where it exchanges heat with cooler lean solvent coming from the bottom of the distillation column and is condensed;(c) returning the lean solvent from step (b) to the bottom of the distillation column;(d) passing part of the condensate from step (b) to a second heat exchanger where it exchanges heat with the warmer lean solvent coming from the bottom of the distillation column, cooling the lean solvent and vaporizing the condensate; and(e) passing the vapor from step (d) to the steam ejector in step (a).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1985
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1987
    Assignee: Union Carbide Corporation
    Inventors: Paulino Forte, Jose A. Vidueira
  • Patent number: 4678544
    Abstract: This invention is directed to the discovery that the distillative separation of 2-methylbutanal (2MBA) from a mixture containing methylisopropylketone (MIPK) and 2MBA can be greatly enhanced by the addition of water to the mixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 1986
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1987
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventor: Lawson G. Wideman
  • Patent number: 4664786
    Abstract: In a steam distillation process for the recovery of aromatic hydrocarbons wherein there is (i) a primary flash zone at the top of the distillation zone in which rich solvent is flashed and/or (ii) provision for the removal of side cut distillate vapors from about the middle of the distillation zone, the improvement comprising (a) heat exchanging flashed rich solvent vapors or side-cut distillate vapors with stripping water to provide stripping water vapors and stripping water at at least about the boiling point of water; (b) passing the stripping water vapors from step (a) to a steam ejector; (c) passing the stripping water from step (a) to a motive steam generator wherein the stripping water is vaporized under pressure; (d) passing the stripping water vapors from step (c) to the steam ejector referred to in step (b); and (e) passing the stripping water vapors, introduced into the steam ejector in accordance with steps (b) and (d), to the lower half of the distillation zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 1986
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1987
    Assignee: Union Carbide Corporation
    Inventors: Paulino Forte, Jose A. Vidueira
  • Patent number: 4657638
    Abstract: A stripping column is comprised of one or more mixing channels situated in parallel arrangement, each channel in the form of a zigzag strip through which liquid cascades in a series of falls alternating with a corresponding series of pools. Simultaneously, vapor travels upwardly in a counter-current manner, intimately mixing with the liquid when forced through each successive pool. The column is especially useful in separating alcohol from fermented mash. The column is preferably employed with three other identical columns in a parallelogram structure to make a distillation unit of greater efficiency and capacity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1985
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1987
    Assignee: University of Florida
    Inventors: Ferdinand le Grand, Carlos E. Odio
  • Patent number: 4652344
    Abstract: Dimethoxycyclohexane, prepared by reacting cyclohexanone with methanol, may be recovered from the product mixture in substantially pure form by first adding water as an azeotropic agent to said mixture to form an azeotrope with unreacted cyclohexanone, removing said azeotrope by distillation, thereby leaving substantially pure dimethoxycyclohexane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1987
    Assignee: Sun Refining and Marketing Company
    Inventors: Chao-Yang Hsu, Paul E. Ellis, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4597833
    Abstract: A process for the removal of gases dissolved in an aqueous solution containing up to about 15% by weight of ethylene oxide and up to about 0.5% by weight of dissolved gases which are selected from carbon dioxide and at least one other compound that is normally gaseous, comprising contacting said aqueous solution of ethylene oxide with water and at least one gas selected from one of said dissolved normally gaseous compounds; other than carbon dioxide or oxygen, for a time and at a temperature and pressure sufficient to effect substantially complete removal of said dissolved gases; said contact taking place in a separation column having an upper and a lower zone and up to 15 theoretical placed in each zone with said aqueous solution of ethylene oxide being added intermediate said zones, said gas being added to the bottom of said lower zone, and said water being added to the top of the upper zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 1984
    Date of Patent: July 1, 1986
    Assignee: Atochem
    Inventors: Henri Neel, Francis Delannoy
  • Patent number: 4597851
    Abstract: The invention provides a process for the utilization of waste water in a coal hydrogenation plant. The demand for processed water and the amount of water required in the hydrogenation of coal is reduced by the use of the resulting waste water from an atmospheric distiller and/or a vacuum distiller as quenching water in a cold precipitator stage of the coal hydrogenation process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1984
    Date of Patent: July 1, 1986
    Assignee: Ruhrkohle Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Eckard Wolowski, Hans-Friedrich Tamm
  • Patent number: 4579650
    Abstract: A process for enhancing coal by removing the gangue (rock, shale, iron pyrites and the like) associated with the mined coal as it comes from the crushers before further treatment. The process described slurries the crushed run of the mine (ROM) coal with a heavy medium, such as perchloroethylene, for a short period of time at ambient or below temperatures, (i.e. slurry times of 5-30 minutes and temperatures of 90.degree. C. to below -10.degree. C.); thereafter allowing, in a substantially quiescent environment, the solids to settle or float as their inherent densities are greater or lesser respectively than the density of the heavy medium. After settling the float solids (mostly coal of lower sulfur and ash content) are separated from the heavy medium as one stream and the sink solids (mostly the gangue) as a second stream. These solids are each washed with hot (90.degree. C.-100.degree. C.) water and the vapor azeotrope which forms from the water and heavy medium mixture (azeotrope) removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1985
    Date of Patent: April 1, 1986
    Assignee: The Dow Chemical Company
    Inventors: Robert J. Nankee, Thomas A. Vivian
  • Patent number: 4561942
    Abstract: Methyl 4-pentenoate is isolated from mixtures containing this and methyl 3-pentenoate by a process in which from 0.25 to 0.4 part by weight of water is added per part by weight of methyl 4-pentenoate, and the azeotrope of methyl 4-pentenoate and water is distilled off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1985
    Date of Patent: December 31, 1985
    Assignee: BASF Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Heinz-Walter Schneider, Rudolf Kummer, Dieter Zimmerling
  • Patent number: 4555309
    Abstract: In a fractional distillation process in which it is desired to maintain a desired ASTM end point temperature of the overhead liquid product withdrawn from the fractional distillation process, changes in the heat removed by the fractional distillation process per unit of the feed are utilized to determine the equilibrium flash vaporization initial point and the equilibrium flash vaporization end point temperature for the overhead liquid product. The initial point temperature and end point temperature are then utilized to determine the actual slope of the equilibrium flash vaporization boiling point line. Changes in the slope of the equilibrium flash vaporization boiling point line are utilized to determine the actual slope of the ASTM boiling point curve at any particular time. The actual ASTM end point temperature for the overhead liquid product is derived based on the actual slope of the ASTM boiling point curve thus determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1983
    Date of Patent: November 26, 1985
    Assignee: Phillips Petroleum Company
    Inventor: Gyan P. Jain
  • Patent number: 4555310
    Abstract: A method of utilizing the energy of a high pressure condensate stream including passing steam at an elevated pressure in indirect heat exchange with a material to be heated, collecting a condensate product condensed from the steam of the heat exchange step at an elevated pressure, passing the condensate directly to a steam stripping step at essentially the same pressure at which the condensate was collected and reducing the pressure of the condensate while simultaneously contacting the condensate with a material to be stripped in the stripping step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1978
    Date of Patent: November 26, 1985
    Assignee: Phillips Petroleum Company
    Inventor: Ronald E. Marrelli
  • Patent number: 4511437
    Abstract: A process for continuous rectification of a liquid mixture containing alcohols, particularly a liquid fermate, employs a plurality of distillation columns to which the liquid mixture is fed in parallel, and which have successively reduced operating pressures and temperatures from an initial one to a final one thereof. The top vapor distillate from the higher-pressure columns supplies driving heat to the sumps of the next successively lower-pressure columns. Direct steam at 130.degree. C. to 160.degree. C. is fed to the sump of the column operated at the highest pressure. Direct steam is generated by indirect heat exchange of water with the top vapor withdrawn from the columns, and the resulting direct steam is fed to the sumps of the next-lower-pressure columns. The apparatus can also include a section for the production of absolute alcohol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1982
    Date of Patent: April 16, 1985
    Assignee: Hoechst Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Gunter Heck, Aladar Lienerth, Egon Malow, Karl-Heinz Schwarz, Uwe Faust
  • Patent number: 4504364
    Abstract: In the production of high purity phenol, a water-phenol mixture recovered from the top of a distillation column is contacted with a water immiscible solvent to extract methyl benzofuran and other by-products and impurities in phenol production therefrom, with the extraction being accomplished at a temperature at which the water-phenol mixture is present as a single phase liquid. The remaining mixture of phenol and water is recycled to the distillation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1982
    Date of Patent: March 12, 1985
    Assignee: The Lummus Company
    Inventors: Jamin Chen, Ali M. Khonsari, George D. Suciu
  • Patent number: 4488934
    Abstract: Free oil, often an objectionable impurity in synthetic organic detergents, such as sodium lauryl sulfate, is removed from aqueous solutions by extraction thereof with hexane in the presence of lower alkanol, with the proportion of the alkanol present being in a relatively narrow range with respect to the sodium lauryl sulfate, in which range it helps to promote efficient extraction of the free oil by the hexane without solubilizing the hexane in the aqueous medium to such an extent as to result in an extracted detergent containing an unacceptably high proportion of hexane. Separation of the free oil from the aqueous detergent solution is effected in an extractor, to which the hexane is added, in mixture with a minor proportion of lower alkanol, normally isopropanol, and extraction of the free oil takes place after a preliminary mixing of isopropanol with detergent acid or neutralized base in a neutralization vessel and/or in a mixer upstream of the extractor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 1981
    Date of Patent: December 18, 1984
    Inventor: Salvatore J. Silvis
  • Patent number: 4483747
    Abstract: A method for removing vinyl chloride monomer rapidly from a large amount of slurry of vinyl chloride resin to give waste water separated from said slurry, exhaust gas used in the drying of separated resin and resin product which are not objectionable from the environmental sanitation or to produce such a treated slurry which can give waste water separated from said slurry, exhaust gas used in the drying of separated resin and resin product which are not objectionable from the environmental sanitation by the repetition of said method. In said method a slurry of vinyl chloride resin is caused to flow down a plate column in which flow of slurry on the trays in each step of plates is treated with steam in a combination of specified plates and specified conditions of treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 20, 1984
    Assignee: Chisso Corporation
    Inventors: Shiro Aruga, Kazuaki Nakano, Kyuichi Mito, Kei Mukai, Mikio Shinkai
  • Patent number: 4443344
    Abstract: A solvent recovery method for removing cleaning solvent from dirty, solvent-laden filter cartridges. The cartridges are placed in a low temperature, water vapor environment. Water vapor passing through the cartridges combines with and replaces the solvent in the cartridges and is then condensed into liquid form. The liquid is deposited in a stratum-forming separator. The water is bled-off to form makeup water in the water vapor environment and the solvent is bled-off from the separator in to a receiving tank from which it may be selectively drawn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 1983
    Date of Patent: April 17, 1984
    Inventor: John O. Lewis
  • Patent number: 4420376
    Abstract: An improved process for recovering high purity resorcinol produced by the rearrangement of m-diisopropylbenzene dihydroperoxide in which the rearranged product mixture is neutralized, the neutralized mixture being filtered, the filtrate being admixed with toluene, the acetone being removed by distillation and the acetone-free rearranged product/toluene mixture being steam distilled to provide an aqueous resorcinol containing phase from which the resorcinol is recovered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 1982
    Date of Patent: December 13, 1983
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventor: Ward J. Burkholder
  • Patent number: 4404064
    Abstract: The invention provides a process for the recovery and purification of acrylonitrile from acetonitrile and relatively heavy impurities mixture by water extractive distillation and solvent stripping wherein the mixture is fed to approximately the middle of a recovery column, a primary solvent water stream is added to the top of this column and a secondary solvent water stream is added to a point intermediate the mixture feed point and the top of the recovery column; a recovery column bottoms stream comprising water, acetonitrile and acrolein is removed from the bottom of the column and is added to a stripper column; acetonitrile is removed from the upper portion of the stripper column, a primary solvent water stream is removed from the bottom of the stripper column and is sent to the top of the recovery column as the source of the added primary solvent water stream and a secondary solvent water stream is removed from an intermediate point of the solvent stripper and is sent to the recovery column as the source
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1982
    Date of Patent: September 13, 1983
    Assignee: Monsanto Company
    Inventor: Gordon H. Lovett
  • Patent number: 4396463
    Abstract: A method of purifying waste water, for example waste water from a coking plant, comprises supplying waste water to be purified to the upper part of a stripping column comprising a plurality of substantially horizontal plates disposed above one another, supplying vapor to the lower part of the column, and supplying a strong base to the column laterally at one or more levels, wherein the water to be stripped is passed downwardly from the top of the column across a number of successive plates sufficient to permit the pH of the water to decrease to a value below 7, and wherein the base is supplied at a level or levels lower than that at which the pH has decreased to the above value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 1981
    Date of Patent: August 2, 1983
    Assignee: Centre de Researches Metallurgiques-Centrum Voor Research in de Metallurgies
    Inventors: Christian Josis, Andre Hans, Theophile Martens
  • Patent number: 4377444
    Abstract: A process is described for the recovery and purification of an olefinic nitrile, such as methacrylonitrile, from mixtures of said olefinic nitrile with hydrogen cyanide, acetonitrile, acrylonitrile, and carbonyl compounds, which result from the ammoxidation of an olefin, such as isobutylene. The mixtures of olefinic nitrile are fed to an extractive distillation column at a point above the middle of the column, a vapor sidestream is removed at a point below the middle of the extractive distillation column said sidestream containing substantially all of the hydrogen cyanide, acetonitrile and carbonyl compounds and then concentrating the hydrogen cyanide, acetonitrile and carbonyl compounds in a stripping pot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 1975
    Date of Patent: March 22, 1983
    Assignee: The Standard Oil Co.
    Inventor: Hsin C. Wu
  • Patent number: 4362601
    Abstract: A mash column (2) and a rectifying column (4) are used in combination, and impurities contained in mash feed (8) is removed out of the mash column. A salt or salts are added to the top of the rectifying column (4). Alcohol supplied from the mash column (2) is subjected to rectification in the rectifying column (4), and ethyl alcohol is obtained from the top of the rectifying column (4). Bottom products from the rectifying column (4) is concentrated by an evaporator (6) and the concentrated salt or salts solution is recycled to the rectifying column (4). Vapor generated by the evaporator (6) is used as a heat source for the mash column (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1980
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1982
    Assignee: Tsukishima Kikai Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Minoru Morita
  • Patent number: 4360406
    Abstract: Provided is a process for preparing tertiary butyl alcohol from isobutylene comprising reacting isobutylene or a hydrocarbon mixture containing isobutylene with an aqueous solution of an aliphatic carboxylic acid having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms in the presence of a solid, acidic ion-exchange resin as catalyst, to produce an aqueous reaction mixture of a major amount of tertiary butyl alcohol and a minor amount of the tertiary butyl ester of the carboxylic acid comprising the improved steps of:(1) subjecting said reaction mixture to distillation to remove unreacted isobutylene or hydrocarbon mixture therefrom;(2) supplying the treated reaction mixture of step (1) to a distillation column and passing water from the top to the bottom of said distillation column to remove said tertiary butyl ester of the carboxylic acid, wherein the amount of water used for removing the ester in step (2) is less than the sum of the amount of water used for converting said isobutylene into tertiary butyl alcohol and the amount of
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1982
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Rayon Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Minoru Ikeda, Kazuya Okada, Hiroshi Matsumura, Takeichi Tachihata
  • Patent number: 4359365
    Abstract: A method of purification of crude .beta.-phenylethyl alcohol to give a highly pure .beta.-phenylethyl alcohol suitable as a perfume, which comprises subjecting the crude .beta.-phenylethyl alcohol to azeotropic distillation in the presence of an azeotropic solvent selected from water, an alkylene glycol, an alkylene glycol monoalkyl ether and a mixture of two or more kinds of these solvents, or extractive distillation in the presence of an extractive solvent selected from glycerine, an alkylene glycol, a polyalkylene glycol, an alkylene glycol monoalkyl ether, a polyalkylene glycol monoalkyl ether and a mixture of two or more kinds of these solvents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1980
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1982
    Assignee: Sumitomo Chemical Company, Limited
    Inventors: Takashi Deguchi, Masahiro Usui, Yasuhiko Higashio
  • Patent number: 4358360
    Abstract: Halogenated hydrocarbon and uncontaminated water is recovered from a stream of process water contaminated with halogenated hydrocarbon and hydrogen halide. The process water is neutralized and then distilled to obtain a first fraction containing halogenated hydrocarbon and water and a second fraction containing uncontaminated water. The first fraction is allowed to settle into layers of halogenated hydrocarbon and water which are then removed.The contaminated stream may be obtained from a process for the solvent dewaxing of a petroleum fraction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 1980
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1982
    Assignee: British Petroleum Company Limited
    Inventor: Ferdinand Richter
  • Patent number: 4345976
    Abstract: The invention involves a process for substantially separating the components of mixtures of substances at least one of which is of low volatility while the other is of low or no volatility, the process using a compressed gas under supercritical conditions and an entrainer which increases the concentration of said mixture in the gaseous phase as well as the separation factor between the components to be separated. The process operates in two distillation zones the first of which substantially separates the components of low volatility in a process similar to a rectification process while the second distillation zone separates the top product of the first distillation zone from the gas with the aid of the entrainer which is condensed partially and in this state is passed in countercurrent to the gas carrying the separated component of low volatility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1979
    Date of Patent: August 24, 1982
    Assignee: Siegfried Peter
    Inventors: Siegfried Peter, Gerd Brunner, Rolf Riha
  • Patent number: 4342735
    Abstract: In stripping ammonia and carbon dioxide from an aqueous ammonium carbonate solution including organic ammonium salts, inorganic base is introduced into the column at a point below the point of the feed introduction and above the column bottom to liberate ammonia from the ammonium salts and thereby produce a bottoms of reduced ammonium content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1981
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1982
    Assignee: The Lummus Company
    Inventor: Utah Tsao
  • Patent number: 4328010
    Abstract: To obtain a cyanogen chloride which is practically free from water and preferably also free from hydrogen cyanide, hydrogen chloride and organic compounds, the crude cyanogen chloride is fractionally distilled. The return is led in countercurrent flow to the crude gas, thereby takes up the impurities and is further evaporated in the lower portion of the column, respectively in a special apparatus, by a liquid whose temperature is higher than the boiling temperature of cyanogen chloride. Thereby this liquid also takes up the impurities. The purification action is aided by a wash for the crude cyanogen chloride connected in series before it enters the fractionating column. It is very advantageous to combine the process with a plant for the production of cyanogen chloride.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1980
    Date of Patent: May 4, 1982
    Assignee: Degussa Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Friedrich Bittner, Werner Heimberger, Kurt Henkel, Norbert Kriebitzsch, Martin Petzold, Kurt Puschner
  • Patent number: 4323432
    Abstract: A improvement in the process for isolating and recovering meta- and para-cresols from crude cresol-containing compositions composed of cresol components, unreacted cymene components and high-boiling by-products, by distillation in a distillation zone, the characteristic features residing in that:(i) the unreacted cymene components content in the crude cresol-containing composition is adjusted to 5-25% by weight of said composition after the adjustment, and the water content of said composition is adjusted to become 0.17-1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1980
    Date of Patent: April 6, 1982
    Assignee: Mitsui Petrochemical Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Ohtani, Junichi Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 4304639
    Abstract: A process for the purification of olefine oxides by subjecting a mixture containing the olefine oxides to distillation in a distillation column in the presence of a small amount of water in order to obtain olefine oxide as the distillate. A fraction of the down-flow liquid is withdrawn from the column and the withdrawn fraction is subjected to decantation, so as to separate off an aqueous phase which is discarded, and an organic phase. The organic phase is returned to the column at a point located below the withdrawal point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 1980
    Date of Patent: December 8, 1981
    Assignee: Propylox (Societe Anonyme)
    Inventors: Nicolas Hardy, Teddy Durieux
  • Patent number: 4293503
    Abstract: Disclosed is an improved method of forming polyol (allyl carbonate) monomers. In the disclosed method, the organic by-products as diallyl carbonate and unreacted reagents as allyl alcohol are separated from the brine and wash water derived aqueous phase and returned to the allyl carbonate synthesis reaction. The aqueous phase is further separated to recover allyl alcohol therefrom, which is returned to the allyl carbonate synthesis reactor as an azeotrope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 1980
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1981
    Assignee: PPG Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Elgin E. Young
  • Patent number: 4277311
    Abstract: The thermal efficiency of an ammonia still is significantly increased by the use, in conjunction with the usual countercurrent steam stripping medium, of an auxiliary inert gas stripping medium initially heated and humidified by passage through a heat exchanger together with hot still bottoms derived from the still.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 1978
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1981
    Assignee: Bethlehem Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel Kwasnoski, Charles J. Sterner
  • Patent number: 4271013
    Abstract: A method for removing biodegradable compounds selected from the group comprising: phenolics, free and fixed ammonia compounds, thiosulfates, cyanides, thiocyanates, sulfides and the like from a feed wastewater. The method comprises the steps of treating the feed wastewater by adding soda ash thereto; and further treating the wastewater by means of an activated sludge treatment in a sludge reactor to reduce the level of biodegradable compounds in the wastewater.A method for removing biodegradable compounds selected from the group comprising phenolics, free and fixed ammonia compounds, thiosulfates, cyanides, thiocyanates, sulfides and mixtures thereof from a feed wastewater comprising the steps of: treating the feed wastewater with an inorganic carbon source; and further treating the wastewater by means of a single-stage activated sludge treatment in a sludge reactor to reduce the level of said biodegradable compounds in the wastewater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1979
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1981
    Assignees: Republic Steel Corporation, The Hanna Furnace Corporation
    Inventor: Aniruddha Bhattacharyya
  • Patent number: 4246417
    Abstract: Waste water recovered from a nitrile production effluent, containing ammonia, hydrogen cyanide, carbon dioxide and water soluble polymers is stripped of ammonia, carbon dioxide and hydrogen cyanide to produce an aqueous stream containing the water soluble polymer. At least a portion of this stream is introduced into a steam scrubber to generate steam therefrom, with scrubber bottoms and any remaining water from the stripping operation being introduced into a reboiler to provide steam for the stripping and an aqueous concentrate of the water soluble polymer. Heat for the reboiler can be provided by indirect heat transfer with steam from the scrubber which produces a condensate suitable as feed water for steam generation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1978
    Date of Patent: January 20, 1981
    Assignee: The Lummus Company
    Inventor: Utah Tsao
  • Patent number: 4238295
    Abstract: Substantial operating cost savings are realized in the recovery of acrylonitrile from an aqueous solution containing acrylonitrile by using the recovery column bottoms stream to provide heat to one or more distillation columns in the process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1978
    Date of Patent: December 9, 1980
    Assignee: Standard Oil Company
    Inventor: Paul S. Odom
  • Patent number: 4236973
    Abstract: Organic material having a normal boiling point in excess of 200.degree. C. and a relative volatility with respect to water of at least one is removed from water contaminated therewith. The process comprises passing a current of vapor, sufficient to vaporize at least a portion of the organic material, through a moving stream of the contaminated water. In a preferred embodiment, the process comprises adjusting the pH of the contaminated water to a level sufficient to prevent substantial dissociation of the organic material. The contaminated water is then countercurrently contacted with a sufficient vapor flow to vaporize at least a portion of the organic material. The resulting organic material-containing vapor can be recovered, and the organic material removed. Illustrative of the process is the removal by air stripping of pentachlorophenol from waste water contaminated with about 250 parts per billion thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 1979
    Date of Patent: December 2, 1980
    Assignee: The Dow Chemical Company
    Inventor: Lanny A. Robbins
  • Patent number: 4236975
    Abstract: Esters are treated with alkali metal borohydride to produce alcohols. Substantially constant boiling admixtures of: methanol/methyl heptafluorobutyrate, water/1,1-dihydroheptafluorobutanol, and water/methyl heptafluorobutyrate are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1978
    Date of Patent: December 2, 1980
    Assignee: Phillips Petroleum Company
    Inventor: William V. Childs
  • Patent number: 4233120
    Abstract: An improved solvent recovery process comprising distilling soiled solvent in a main still and conducting hot solvent vapor through a heat exchanger associated with a tank in which an azeotropic mixture of water and soiled solvent is maintained, which mixture boils at a temperature lower than the boiling point of the solvent alone. A series of tanks feed soiled solvent to the azeotropic mixture tank and then to the main still, and heat exchangers fed by the vapor from the main still and the vapor from the azeotropic mixture tank pre-heat the soiled solvent. Automatic control of water injection into the azeotropic mixture tank in dependence upon the temperature of conductivity of the tank contents maintains the composition of the azeotropic mixture, the injected water being taken from separators which separate water from condensate of the main still and azeotropic mixture tank vapors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1978
    Date of Patent: November 11, 1980
    Assignee: John Gladstone & Company (Engineering) Limited
    Inventor: David Finlay-Maxwell