Abstract: A facility and a process with four membrane separation units, where the second separation unit separates the retentate of the first unit, the third separation unit separates the permeate of the first unit, the fourth separation unit separates the retentate of the third unit, the permeate of the second unit and the retentate of the fourth unit are recycled to the feed to the first unit, the permeate of the fourth unit is passed to a methane oxidation unit and the permeate of the third unit is discharged to the atmosphere allows separating methane and carbon dioxide from a gas stream, providing a methane rich stream with the retentate of the second unit at a high methane yield and adhering to low limits for methane discharge to the atmosphere with a small size methane oxidation unit.

Abstract: A device for separating a gas stream which has a compressor and three membrane separation units in series, connected to pass the retentate stream of each of the first two units to the subsequent membrane separation unit, comprises conduits for recycling the permeate streams of the second and the third membrane separation unit to upstream of the compressor and a control device controlling the fraction of the second permeate stream which is recycled. Adjusting which fraction of the second permeate is recycled can be used to maintain a target composition of the retentate obtained in the third membrane separation unit when the flow rate or the composition of the gas stream changes.

Abstract: The invention relates to a specific process and apparatus for separation of gas mixtures with reduced maintenance costs.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing alcohols by homogeneously catalyzed hydroformylation of olefins to aldehydes and subsequent hydration of the aldehydes. The invention further relates to a system for carrying out the method. The main focus is on the separation technique for work-up of the hydroformylation mixture. The problem addressed by the invention is that specifying a work-up method for hydroformylation mixtures that utilizes the specific advantages of known separation technologies but at the same time largely avoids the specific disadvantages of said separation technologies. The most important objective is to create a catalyst separation system that is as complete and at the same time conservative as possible and that operates in a technically reliable manner and entails low investment and operating costs. The method should be unrestrictedly suitable for processing the reaction output from oxo systems in “world scale” format.

Abstract: The invention relates to a specific process and apparatus for separation of gas mixtures with reduced maintenance costs.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for separating a composition of matter with the aid of a membrane cascade having at least two stages, in which a separation is effected in each stage at at least one membrane at a separation temperature set for the particular stage. The invention further relates to a corresponding membrane cascade, to the use of said membrane cascade for catalyst separation from homogeneously catalyzed mixtures, and to a process for hydroformylation, in which the catalyst is separated by means of a membrane cascade. The problem addressed thereby is that of specifying a membrane-based process for separating compositions of matter, which has a minimum membrane area requirement and nevertheless fulfills the separation task and separation performance required. This problem is solved by the use of a membrane cascade with falling separation temperature.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the purification of a contaminated organophosphorus product which comprises at least one organophosphorus compound and, as contaminant, at least one chlorine compound. It is based on the object of indicating a purification method in which the chlorine content of an organophosphorus product which comprises at least one organophosphorus compound and at least one chlorine compound as contaminant, can be reduced from originally 1000 to 100 000 ppm to a total chlorine content between 10 ppm and 10 000 ppm. This is achieved by a process with the steps: a) provision of the contaminated organophosphorus product; b) complete dissolution of the contaminated organophosphorus product in a solvent to give a contaminated solution; c) separation of the contaminated solution by means of a filter and/or by means of a membrane separation unit to give a purified solution; d) removal of the solvent from the purified solution to give a purified organophosphorus product.

Abstract: A homogeneous catalyst system is removed from a reaction mixture of two liquid phases by separating the two liquid phases with a membrane having at least one separation-active layer in such a way that the homogeneous catalyst system is at least partially concentrated in a membrane retentate; wherein the reaction mixture contains at least one partially epoxidized cyclic unsaturated compound having twelve carbon atoms; and wherein the membrane separation-active layer contains crosslinked a silicone acrylate and/or polydimethylsiloxane and/or polyimide.

Abstract: The invention relates to processes for preparing aldehydes by hydroformylation of alkenes, in which an alkene-containing feed mixture is subjected to a primary hydroformylation with synthesis gas in the presence of a homogeneous catalyst system, the primary hydroformylation being effected in a primary reaction zone from which a cycle gas containing at least some of the products and unconverted reactants of the primary hydroformylation are drawn off continuously and partly condensed, with recycling of uncondensed components of the cycle gas into the primary reaction zone, and with distillative separation of condensed components of the cycle gas in an aldehyde removal stage to give an aldehyde-rich mixture and a low-aldehyde mixture. The problem that it addresses is that of developing the process such that it achieves high conversions and affords aldehyde in good product quality even in the case of a deteriorating raw material position.

Abstract: An apparatus for the epoxidation of a cyclic unsaturated C12 compound with hydrogen peroxide is provided. The apparatus includes a reactor for carrying out the reaction, wherein the walls of the reactor are at least partially furnished with a separation-active layer of crosslinked silicone acrylates and/or polydimethylsiloxane.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the purification of a contaminated organophosphorus product which comprises at least one organophosphorus compound and, as contaminant, at least one chlorine compound. It is based on the object of indicating a purification method in which the chlorine content of an organophosphorus product which comprises at least one organophosphorus compound and at least one chlorine compound as contaminant, can be reduced from originally 1000 to 100 000 ppm to a total chlorine content between 10 ppm and 10 000 ppm. This is achieved by a process with the steps: a) provision of the contaminated organophosphorus product; b) complete dissolution of the contaminated organophosphorus product in a solvent to give a contaminated solution; c) separation of the contaminated solution by means of a filter and/or by means of a membrane separation unit to give a purified solution; d) removal of the solvent from the purified solution to give a purified organophosphorus product.

Abstract: The invention relates to processes for preparing aldehydes by hydroformylation of alkenes, in which an alkene-containing feed mixture is subjected to a primary hydroformylation with synthesis gas in the presence of a homogeneous catalyst system, the primary hydroformylation being effected in a primary reaction zone from which a cycle gas containing at least some of the products and unconverted reactants of the primary hydroformylation are drawn off continuously and partly condensed, with recycling of uncondensed components of the cycle gas into the primary reaction zone, and with distillative separation of condensed components of the cycle gas in an aldehyde removal stage to give an aldehyde-rich mixture and a low-aldehyde mixture. The problem that it addresses is that of developing the process such that it achieves high conversions and affords aldehyde in good product quality even in the case of a deteriorating raw material position.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and a device for controlling the viscosity of reaction solutions in the hydroformylation of olefin-containing mixtures.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for the continuous, homogeneous-catalysis reaction of a liquid with a gas and optionally an additional fluid, wherein the device comprises at least one reactor having an external liquid circulation driven by a pump, and wherein the device has at least one membrane separation stage that preferably holds back the homogeneous catalyst. The aim of the invention is to specify a device that allows homogeneous-catalysis gas/liquid phase reactions, in particular hydroformylations, which operate with membrane separation of the catalyst to be performed economically at an industrially relevant scale. Said aim is achieved in that a jet loop reactor is provided as the reactor, and that the pump and the membrane separation stage are arranged in the same external liquid circuit.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for separating a composition of matter with the aid of a membrane cascade having at least two stages, in which a separation is effected in each stage at at least one membrane at a separation temperature set for the particular stage. The invention further relates to a corresponding membrane cascade, to the use of said membrane cascade for catalyst separation from homogeneously catalysed mixtures, and to a process for hydroformylation, in which the catalyst is separated by means of a membrane cascade. The problem addressed thereby is that of specifying a membrane-based process for separating compositions of matter, which has a minimum membrane area requirement and nevertheless fulfils the separation task and separation performance required. This problem is solved by the use of a membrane cascade with falling separation temperature.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a product mixture (2) by means of the technical hydroformylation of a hydrocarbon stream (1) that contains isobutene, and for separating the product mixture (2) that is obtained, as well as to a device for the claimed method and to the use of a claimed device. The problem addressed thereby is that of providing a method and an associated device that allow the amount of high-boiling substances in the product mixture (2) to be kept as low as possible and thus the yield of the reaction to be increased. The problem is solved by the use of a nano-filtration device (M) for separating the catalyst from the product mixture (2), said device having especially high permeability to 3-methylbutanoic acid.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for separating a homogeneous catalyst out of a reaction mixture by means of at least one membrane separation unit, in which method: the reaction mixture coming from a reaction zone and containing the homogeneous catalyst is applied as a feed to the membrane separation unit; the homogeneous catalyst is depleted in the permeate of the membrane separation unit and enriched in the retentate of the membrane separation unit; and the retentate of the membrane separation unit is recirculated into the reaction zone. The invention addresses the problem of specifying a method for separating homogeneous catalyst out of reaction mixtures that simplifies the feeding of fresh catalyst into the reaction zone and avoids disruptions to the hydrodynamics within the reaction zone when the volumetric flow of the reaction mixture output from the reaction zone varies.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing alcohols by homogeneously catalysed hydroformylation of olefins to aldehydes and subsequent hydration of the aldehydes. The invention further relates to a system for carrying out the method. The main focus is on the separation technique for work-up of the hydroformylation mixture. The problem addressed by the invention is that specifying a work-up method for hydroformylation mixtures that utilises the specific advantages of known separation technologies but at the same time largely avoids the specific disadvantages of said separation technologies. The most important objective is to create a catalyst separation system that is as complete and at the same time conservative as possible and that operates in a technically reliable manner and entails low investment and operating costs. The method should be unrestrictedly suitable for processing the reaction output from oxo systems in “world scale” format.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for the continuous, homogeneous-catalysis reaction of a liquid with a gas and optionally an additional fluid, wherein the device comprises at least one reactor having an external liquid circulation driven by a pump, and wherein the device has at least one membrane separation stage that preferably holds back the homogeneous catalyst. The aim of the invention is to specify a device that allows homogeneous-catalysis gas/liquid phase reactions, in particular hydroformylations, which operate with membrane separation of the catalyst to be performed economically at an industrially relevant scale. Said aim is achieved in that a jet loop reactor is provided as the reactor, and that the pump and the membrane separation stage are arranged in the same external liquid circuit.

Abstract: A homogeneous catalyst system is removed from a reaction mixture of two liquid phases by separating the two liquid phases with a membrane having at least one separation-active layer in such a way that the homogeneous catalyst system is at least partially concentrated in a membrane retentate; wherein the reaction mixture contains at least one partially epoxidized cyclic unsaturated compound having twelve carbon atoms; and wherein the membrane separation-active layer contains crosslinked a silicone acrylate and/or polydimethylsiloxane and/or polyimide.