Abstract: A process for separating the constituents of azeotropic mixtures of acetone and other lower ketones from lower halogenated hydrocarbons. Water is added to the azeotropic mixture of acetone and the lower halogenated hydrocarbon for breaking up of the azeotrope, and the halogenated halohydrocarbon is distilled off.

Abstract: A method for separating a feedstock comprising hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan, methanol, and water in which a sufficient amount of water is injected into the fractionating column above the feedstock inlet to water wash the organic phase, decanting water and methanol from a tray below the feedstock inlet so that the stream comprising hydrogen sulfide and a minimum of water can be removed overhead and a stream comprising methyl mercaptan and a minimum of water can be removed as bottoms.

Abstract: An apparatus for reducing the vinyl chloride monomer content of polyvinyl chloride resins suspended as a slurry in an aqueous medium. The polyvinyl chloride-water slurry as produced in a conventional suspension resin autoclave, or a resin-water slurry prepared subsequent to suspension polymerization, is placed in a vessel and heated to a suitable temperature for removal of vinyl chloride monomer from the resin. In this operation, the polyvinyl chloride-water slurry is agitated in a vessel and steam is injected directly into the slurry to rapidly heat the slurry up to a minimum temperature of at least about 180.degree. F. The slurry is cooled immediately, or optionally it can be maintained for a period of time at the selected maximum temperature and then rapidly cooled by applying vacuum to the vessel and condensing the vapor phase removed from the vessel. Dried polyvinyl chloride resin produced by this process has been found to have a vinyl chloride monomer content below a detectable limit of 0.5 ppm.

Abstract: A fractionation process wherein a fractionation column is maintained at a subatmospheric pressure through the use of a steam-jet ejector. Water drawn off the overhead receiver of the fractionation column is vaporized by indirect heat exchange to form the moderate pressure steam charged to the ejector. The effluent of the ejector is passed through a condenser, and the resultant condensate is recycled to the overhead receiver by admixture with the overhead vapor stream of the fractionation column. The disposal of hydrocarbon-contaminated aqueous overhead liquid is thereby minimized.

Abstract: A process for separating one or more aliphatic alcohols selected from the group consisting of methanol, ethanol, isopropanol and tertiary butanol from a tetrahydrofuran stream comprising tetrahydrofuran, one or more of said alcohols and optionally water by extractive distillation with water.

Abstract: An aromatic acyl chloride is obtained with industrial advantages by reacting an aromatic carboxylic acid, phosphorus trichloride and chlorine, treating the reaction mixture comprising by-produced phosphorus pentachloride with at least one treating agent selected from water and phosphorus compounds to convert the phosphorus pentachloride into phosphorus oxychloride, and then subjecting the resulting reaction mixture to distillation to obtain the desired aromatic acyl chloride.

Abstract: In the recovery and purification of acrylonitrile or methacrylonitrile obtained by the ammoxidation reaction of propylene or isobutylene, the bottoms stream associated with the column for extractively distilling acrylonitrile or methacrylonitrile is both reduced in size and increased in polymer concentration by removing a vapor stream containing water from the lower fourth of said column, thus reducing the amount of solids-containing waste streams to be treated.

Abstract: A method is provided for uniformly blending thermoplastic resins and additives and for recovering them in a particulate form. The resin and normally difficult to compound additive, e.g., a silicone gum, are mixed into a liquid medium having a component which vaporizes readily. The liquid medium is then contacted with flowing live steam in a conduit and the mixture is fed into a closed chamber from which the superheated, vaporized liquid components and steam are removed overhead and in which the blended product forms particles. The particulate product is then collected.

Abstract: A methanol production process including synthesis gas generation, methanol synthesis and methanol distillation includes an autonomous system in which low pressure steam is raised by heat exchange with a fluid stream at 120.degree.-300.degree. C. in the process, the low pressure steam is used as live steam to heat at least distillation column in the distillation section and bottoms water from a distillation column in that section is used as feed to the autonomous steam system.

Abstract: Propylene oxide is separated from contaminating quantities of methanol and acetone by extractive distillation with water.

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 heat exchange with hot still bottoms derived from the still.

Abstract: The process of separating water and wash oil from a gaseous feed stream of water vapor, wash oil and light oil involving (a) directing the gaseous feed stream in an upward direction and in contact with a cooling solid surface such that a temperature gradient of the gaseous stream is produced such that the temperature of the gaseous stream is highest at the bottom of the cooling solid surface such that gaseous components of the gaseous stream having the highest boiling temperature condense onto the lower portions of the cooling solid surface and wherein the lower boiling components of the gaseous stream condense onto the solid surface at higher portions on the solid surface to thereby form a liquid film on the solid surface, which film then runs downward onto the lower portions of the solid surface to thereby inhibit deposits from adhering to these lower portions of the solid surface; (b) withdrawing a gaseous stream containing a major portion of light oil; and (c) withdrawing a liquid condensate which contain

Abstract: A method of recovering heat as well as fractions containing volatile alcohols and sulphur compounds from black liquor obtained from pulping. In a vapor generator, water is, by means of vapor, liberated at a high temperature and under a high pressure from the expansion of black liquor removed from a digester, indirectly vaporized into low-pressure vapor, which is used for vapor treatment of chips before their introduction into the digester. The condensate produced in the vapor generator is, under pressure control, passed into a condenser device, which is operated at a pressure that is lower than the pressure in the black liquor escaping from the digester, preferably at the atmospheric pressure. The condensate fraction formed in the condenser device as well as the uncondensed gas fraction are cooled by means of indirect cooling and the volatile alcohols and sulphur compounds are recovered from these fractions.

Abstract: A water purification process is described for the removal of ammonia and optionally one or more acid gases from waste waters such as coke-plant or coal conversion waste waters. The process involves adding lime to these waste waters in amounts sufficient to react with fixed ammonia salts present in the waste water and to enable substantially all of the ammonia to be evolved upon distillation, adding a threshold amount of a scale inhibitor compound chosen from the class of certain organic phosphonates and subjecting the thus treated waste water to distillation to remove substantially all of the ammonia and acid gases present from the waste water. Preferably, this process is achieved by two separate and successive distillations. In this preferred process, the first distillation substantially reduces the amount of the acid gases and free ammonia. In the second distillation, the amount of fixed ammonia is substantially reduced.

Abstract: Fouling of an ammonia still, used for removal of ammonia from weak ammonia liquor derived from a coal coking operation, is alleviated by pre-precipitating insoluble calcium salts from the ammonia liquor by treatment of the liquor with lime prior to introduction into a single-leg still.

Abstract: The fouling of ammonia stills which results from the clogging, particularly of the lower plates of the stills, with sludge and precipitates is eliminated by use of a calcium compound precipitation step followed by a clarification step prior to initiation of actual distillation.

Abstract: A water purification process is described for the removal of ammonia and optionally one or more acid gases from waste waters such as coke-plant or coal conversion waste waters. The process involves adding lime to these waste waters in amounts sufficient to react with fixed ammonia salts present in the waste water and to enable substantial amounts of the ammonia to be evolved upon distillation, adding a threshold amount of a scale inhibitor compound chosen from the class of certain organic phosphonates and subjecting the thus treated waste water to distillation to remove substantial amounts of the ammonia and acid gases present from the waste water. Preferably, this process is achieved by two separate and successive distillations. In this preferred process, the first distillation substantially reduces the amount of the acid gases and free ammonia and is conducted at a pH of more than 9. In the second distillation, the amount of fixed ammonia is substantially reduced.

Abstract: A method for reducing the vinyl chloride monomer content of polyvinyl chloride resins suspended as a slurry in an aqueous medium. The polyvinyl chloride-water slurry as produced in a conventional suspension resin autoclave, or a resin-water slurry prepared subsequent to suspension polymerization, is placed in a vessel and heated to a suitable temperature for removal of vinyl chloride monomer from the resin. In this operation, the polyvinyl chloride-water slurry is agitated in a vessel and steam is injected directly into the slurry to rapidly heat the slurry up to a minimum temperature of at least about 180.degree. F. The slurry is cooled immediately, or optionally it can be maintained for a period of time at the selected maximum temperature and then rapidly cooled by applying vacuum to the vessel and condensing the vapor phase removed from the vessel. Dried polyvinyl chloride resin produced by this process has been found to have a vinyl chloride monomer content below a detectable limit of 0.5 ppm.

Abstract: Waste water resulting from the production of acrylonitrile by gas phase oxidation of propylene and ammonia with oxygen as washing water in the recovery section is purified by treating the waste water with 0.4 to 1 ton of steam per ton of waste water in a detoxification column attached to or following the separation column (for the separation of acetonitrile and acrylonitrile from the waste water in the acrylonitrile process) at a temperature from 100.degree. to 125.degree. C, at a pressure of 0 to 2 (gauge) atmospheres; separating the non-volatile resinous organic compounds from the thus treated waste water in an evaporator and using the vapors from the top of said evaporator to heat the said separation column and detoxification column; and optionally adding an organic amine to said distillation column or to said evaporator.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for the regeneration of washing oil which has been spent to recover naphthalene and/or benzol from coke oven gas. The spent washing oil is stripped by steam in a bubble column arranged as an integral part of a single main column that includes first, second and third exchange column sections disposed in a superimposed relation one above the other to receive the stripped vapors from the bubble column. The first exchange column section is fed with a mixture of toluene, xylene and naphthalene as a reflux, the second exchange column section is fed with water as the reflux and the third exchange column section is fed with benzol as the reflux. The head product from the column is condensed and passed through a first-phase separator to obtain a substantially anhydrous benzol fraction and a water fraction. These fractions are separately used as a reflux for the second and third exchange column sections.

Abstract: A liquid feed stock containing oil is deodorized in a semicontinuous process wherein the feed stock, in a first evacuated chamber, undergoes heat exchange with a deodorized stock in a second evacuated chamber, said stocks being circulated in their respective chambers by upwardly flowing steam introduced into each chamber between a partition, separating the two chambers, and a guide plate parallel to said partition and spaced therefrom, whereafter said feed stock is passed through a succession of steam heating stages to heat said feed stock to successively higher temperatures thereby deodorizing the feed stock and then withdrawn as deodorized stock and recirculated as deodorized stock to said second evacuated chamber to undergo heat exchange with said feed stock.

Abstract: A process for treating an adipic acid bleed stream obtained in the manufacture of adipic acid, said adipic acid bleed stream consisting mainly of nitric, adipic, glutaric, and succinic acids and a catalyst; the process comprising maintaining said adipic acid bleed stream in aqueous solution, and stripping nitric acid from said aqueous solution with steam at a temperature of about 100.degree.-110.degree. C. while maintaining in said aqueous solution a water to nitric acid weight ratio of at least 6, to remove substantially all of the nitric acid therefrom, thereby forming an aqueous nitric acid free mixture of said dibasic acids and said catalyst which can be safely dehydrated and distilled to produce useful chemicals.

Abstract: A method for decreasing the naphthalene concentration in debenzolized light oil for greater naphthalene removal comprises pumping the primary light oil condensate and oil bled from a naphthalene scrubber or oil type final cooler to a level above the topmost additional tray in the top portion of a wash oil still.

Abstract: The method of the invention consists in conveying a concentrated aqueous solution of a substance less volatile than water and miscible with the latter into the upper portion of a liquid-vapor exchange column operating at atmospheric pressure and supplied with saturated water vapor at its lower portion, in collecting a dilute aqueous solution of said substance in the lower portion of said column and vapor rich in said substance and sparingly rich in water, at a temperature comprised between about 110.degree. and 150.degree. C, in the upper portion of the said column, said column also alternately functioning to dehydrate, and thereby regenerate said dilute aqueous solution to thereby produce said concentrated aqueous solution.

Abstract: An improvement in the process for removing vinyl chloride from a water-polyvinyl chloride slurry, which contains unreacted vinyl chloride, by steam distillation is disclosed. In many instances, steam distillation of the slurry results in an increase in the number of gels or fish eyes. The improvement comprises conducting the steam distillation in the presence of a minor, but effective, amount of an alkali metal sulfite or carbonate. The improved process results in a polyvinyl chloride having no substantial increase in, or a reduced amount of, gels or fish eyes, while still having good heat stability and porosity properties.

Abstract: In a process for reacting an aromatic or hydroaromatic alicyclic or heterocyclic dicarboxylic acid or its anhydride with an aliphatic or aromatic alicyclic or heterocyclic mono- or di-amine to produce an N-substituted dicarboxylic acid imide with a splitting off of water, the improvement of carrying out the reaction in a liquid solvent mixture consisting essentially of a non-polar organic solvent and a strongly polar organic solvent which together form a ternary azeotrope with water at reaction temperatures between about 40.degree.C. and 160.degree.C. The imide products are generally known for use as intermediates and final products in a number of industries.

Abstract: The conventional process for the recovery of ethylene oxide produced by the silver catalyzed, vapor phase, partial oxidation of ethylene with molecular oxygen involves a sequence of steps including absorption in water of the ethylene oxide contained in the reaction effluent. The ethylene oxide-containing absorbate is then stripped and the vapor thus generated is subjected to reabsorption, also in water. This invention provides an improved stripper-reabsorption system and includes the steps of partial condensation of the stripper overhead and introduction of an additional absorbent stream into the readsorption step.

Abstract: Dimethyl carbonate is separated from a mixture thereof with methyl alcohol and water through an extractive distillation process wherein water is utilized as the solvent.

Abstract: A process for regenerating absorbent solutions used for removing gaseous impurities such as CO.sub.2, H.sub.2 S,HCN, SO.sub.2 and other acidic gases from gaseous mixtures by stripping with steam, which comprisesA. dividing the solution to be regenerated into a principal and a secondary fraction (p and s) and regenerating these fractions separately from each other in a principal and a secondary regeneration column (P and S), the principal regeneration column being operated at a pressure of at least about 0.2 to 0.5 atm above the pressure of the secondary regeneration column,B. regenerating the principal fraction in the principal regeneration column by heat which is fed from outside into the lower part of the column,C. regenerating the secondary fraction in the secondary regeneration column by heat which has been removed from the regenerated solution leaving the principal regeneration column andD. passing the regenerated fractions to the absorber.

Abstract: A method for the removal of substantially all of the reaction diluent from a reaction mixture containing poly(arylene sulfide) polymer, organic polar diluent, by-product alkali metal halide, and other impurities is provided by the atmospheric adiabatic expansion of the polymer slurry from about 200 pounds pressure in a transfer line to atmospheric pressure in a flash tank, the polymer being mixed at the point of pressure letdown with 200 psig steam which is reduced in pressure at the same point in the transfer line, to remove 75 to 98 percent of the reaction diluent from the flash tank as vapor. The polymer-salt-residual diluent mixture is then passed through heated blending and drying equipment into which superheated steam is flashed to remove the residual diluent. The residual polar diluent passes back through the equipment with the steam to be removed from the flash tank.