Abstract: An object of the present invention is to separate a material to be separated at a low cost and constant accuracy when the material to be separated is separated from a mobile phase containing the material to be separated through the passing of the mobile phase through a stationary phase, even if the mobile phase has a large volume. A separation device characterized in that a separation column provided with a stationary phase having a volume capable of processing the entire volume of a mobile phase containing a material to be separated is provided, the separation column is replaceable, and the usage count of the stationary phase reaches a lifetime count through the processing of one batch.

Abstract: Provided are a device and a method for efficiently producing a polyester by using 1,4-butanediol as a starting material. The device for producing a polyester includes: a preparation tank (4) for starting material slurry; a storage tank (6) for starting material slurry; an esterification reactor (9); an initial polycondensation reactor (11); a middle polycondensation reactor (13); and a final polycondensation reactor (15). An exhaust system for each of the initial, middle, and final polycondensation reactors includes a wet condenser (17, 23, or 31) using a liquid containing 1,4-butanediol as a coolant; and a hot well (22, 30, or 38) connected to the corresponding wet condenser. Herein, process scattered substances scattering with exhaust are collected, and hydrolyzed in the hot well, so as to be returned to the esterification step. This allows the polyester to be efficiently produced.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to separate a material to be separated at a low cost and constant accuracy when the material to be separated is separated from a mobile phase containing the material to be separated through the passing of the mobile phase through a stationary phase, even if the mobile phase has a large volume. A separation device characterized in that a separation column provided with a stationary phase having a volume capable of processing the entire volume of a mobile phase containing a material to be separated is provided, the separation column is replaceable, and the usage count of the stationary phase reaches a lifetime count through the processing of one batch.

Abstract: Provided are a device and a method for efficiently producing a polyester by using 1,4-butanediol as a starting material. The device for producing a polyester includes: a preparation tank (4) for starting material slurry; a storage tank (6) for starting material slurry; an esterification reactor (9); an initial polycondensation reactor (11); a middle polycondensation reactor (13); and a final polycondensation reactor (15). An exhaust system for each of the initial, middle, and final polycondensation reactors includes a wet condenser (17, 23, or 31) using a liquid containing 1,4-butanediol as a coolant; and a hot well (22, 30, or 38) connected to the corresponding wet condenser. Herein, process scattered substances scattering with exhaust are collected, and hydrolyzed in the hot well, so as to be returned to the esterification step. This allows the polyester to be efficiently produced.

Abstract: This invention provides a cost-effective method for removing impurities from waste glycerin generated in the process of biodiesel production, so as to prevent a supercritical water reaction tube from clogging, when synthesizing acrolein by allowing supercritical water and acid to react with glycerin.

Abstract: Provided are a polyester production apparatus and a method, which can rapidly exhaust water produced by the dehydration condensation reaction, from the reaction system. The polyester production apparatus includes: an esterification reactor producing polymer by the dehydration condensation reaction between 1,3-propanediol and dicarboxylic acid to volatilize a volatile component including eliminated water produced in said dehydration condensation reaction, a plurality of polymerization reactors increasing the polymerization degree by carrying out polycondensation reaction between polymers, and to volatilize the volatile component including the eliminated product generated by said polycondensation reaction, a wet-type condenser condensing said eliminated water and exhausting the condensed component and non-condensed component, and a decompression apparatus reducing a pressure in said esterification reactor.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a technology which can suppress the blockage and abrasion of pipes and devices caused by the production of by-products and stably synthesize acrolein at a high yield, under a condition in which energy efficiency is improved by an elevated concentration of glycerol in a reaction liquid, in a process for synthesis of acrolein by reacting supercritical water and an acid with glycerol. An embodiment of the present invention includes: setting a concentration of glycerol in the reaction liquid at 30% by weight or lower; also cooling the reaction liquid to a temperature between a temperature (300° C. or lower) at which the reaction stops and a temperature (100° C.

Abstract: This invention provides a cost-effective method for removing impurities from waste glycerin generated in the process of biodiesel production, so as to prevent a supercritical water reaction tube from clogging, when synthesizing acrolein by allowing supercritical water and acid to react with glycerin.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an industrially applicable method for producing acrolein via treatment with supercritical water from glycerin obtained as a by-product during the process of biodiesel fuel production from waste animal/plant fat or oil with the use of an alkali catalyst. The present invention provides a method for producing acrolein, which comprises: a determination step of determining the hydrogen ion concentration in glycerin obtained as a by-product; an acid addition step of adding to the glycerin an acid at an amount calculated based on the results of the determination step so as to make the glycerin acidic; and a supercritical water treatment step of allowing supercritical water to act on the glycerin after the acid addition so as to produce acrolein from the glycerin.

Abstract: Provided is a polyester production process which provides the polyester with a suitable molecular weight capable of enduring various mold processings and which can inhibit the polymer from being colored due to side reactions in synthesis. The above polyester production process comprises: an esterification step of carrying out an esterification reaction of ethylene glycol and 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid to form an oligomer and a condensation polymerization step of carrying out a condensation polymerization reaction of the oligomer to produce polyester, wherein the esterification reaction is carried out at 200 to 250° C.

Abstract: In a method and apparatus for producing a useful substance by allowing a fluid containing a biomass raw material to act on a supercritical water and/or subcritical water, the fluid containing a biomass raw material in a high concentration is efficiently mixed with the supercritical water and/or subcritical water, whereby the amount of tar and carbon particles produced as by-products is decreased and blockage and abrasion of a pipe and an equipment is suppressed, or it is possible to easily remove the by-products. At least two inlet flow paths for flowing the raw material fluid and the supercritical water or subcritical water into the mixing flow path are provided, along with an agitation blade having a rotating shaft set on a center shaft of the mixing flow path and an agitation blade having a rotating shaft set on a center shaft of the mixing flow path.

Abstract: A device and a method for producing high-quality polybutylene succinate are provided. The method for producing polybutylene succinate comprises the steps of: preparing a raw-material slurry by mixing succinic acid or a derivative thereof with 1,4-butanediol in a raw-material slurry preparation tank; storing the raw-material slurry in a raw-material slurry storage tank while maintaining flowability; carrying out an esterification reaction of the raw-material slurry in an esterification reactor; and synthesizing polybutylene succinate with a polycondensation reaction of the ester in a polycondensation reactor, in which the polycondensation reactor is divided, from the upstream side, into at least an initial polycondensation reactor, an intermediate polycondensation reactor, and a final polycondensation reactor, a catalyst is added in an amount from 1000 ppm to 3000 ppm in relation to succinic acid or a derivative thereof, the reaction time in the intermediate polycondensation reactor ranges from 0.

Abstract: In order to perform organic synthesis process through action with supercritical water and acid stably while suppressing a trouble caused by a by-product, a method and an apparatus are provided, including the following steps. Water is supplied to high-pressure pumps (110) and (210) from water headers (101) and (201), and a pressure-reducing valve (324) is regulated to increase the pressure to 35 MPa. Temperatures of preheaters (120) and (220) and a heater (310) are increased until the reaction solution is at a temperature of 400° C. Acid (sulfuric acid) and an organic compound raw material (glycerin) are supplied from an acid header (203) and a raw-material header (203?) for action with the supercritical water to obtain a reaction solution. The obtained reaction solution is cooled to 100 to 200° C.

Abstract: In order to provide, when a plurality of fluids each containing a different kind of substance are mixed and reacted, a reactor having a mixing channel capable of forming a multi-layered flow in a radial direction in the cylindrically-shaped mixing channel; improving mixing performance by synergizing swirling effects of mixture of turbulent flows and a swirling flow; and producing a reaction product with a high yield as well as high efficiency, a mixing channel 1 which mixes fluids 4 and 5 each containing the different kind of substance is cylindrically shaped, and inlet passages 2 and 3 which introduce the fluids 4 and 5, respectively, are plurally arranged in a manner offset from a central axis of the mixing channel 1.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method for commercially manufacturing acrolein in a large flow rate by making supercritical water and an acid interact with glycerin, wherein by efficiently mixing high-concentration glycerin and supercritical water with each other, the method is made capable of making the synthesis stably proceed with a high yield while the occlusion and abrasion of the pipes and devices due to the generation of by-products are being suppressed.

Abstract: A manufacturing process of purified lactic acid includes a fermentation process where a pH adjusting agent containing calcium and a microorganism are added to a sugar-containing solution to produce lactic acid in the form of calcium lactate, and a purification process where sulfuric acid is added to a solution containing calcium lactate to separate calcium ions in the form of calcium sulfate. Prior to the step of adding sulfuric acid, a reverse osmosis membrane concentration step removes water; a crystallization step crystallizes and removes calcium lactate; and a reverse osmosis membrane concentration step where the solution from which calcium lactate has been removed is heated and allowed to pass through the reverse osmosis membrane removes water, the crystallization step and the subsequent reverse osmosis membrane concentration step being repeated one or more times.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a technology which can suppress the blockage and abrasion of pipes and devices caused by the production of by-products and stably synthesize acrolein at a high yield, under a condition in which energy efficiency is improved by an elevated concentration of glycerol in a reaction liquid, in a process for synthesis of acrolein by reacting supercritical water and an acid with glycerol. An embodiment of the present invention includes: setting a concentration of glycerol in the reaction liquid at 30% by weight or lower; also cooling the reaction liquid to a temperature between a temperature (300° C. or lower) at which the reaction stops and a temperature (100° C.

Abstract: When obtaining a target substance by gradually cooling the reaction liquid by cooling in a plurality of stages divided in series, and then distilling the cooled reaction liquid by distillation in a plurality of stages divided in series, this method and this apparatus include: circulating a heating medium to be used for cooling in the plurality of the stages by way of; sequentially passing the heating medium toward the most upstream cooling stage from the most downstream cooling stage of the reaction liquid; cooling the heating medium which has been discharged from the most upstream cooling stage by using the heating medium for keeping or raising the temperature of the liquid which has been discharged from the distillation in the plurality of the stages; and returning the cooled heating medium back to the most downstream cooling stage of the reaction liquid.

Abstract: A method for purifying tetrahydrofuran from a liquid containing tetrahydrofuran and as impurities at least water, 2,5-dihydrofuran and butanol, the method comprising: a first distillation step in which the liquid is subjected to distillation using a distillation column to separate into a first bottoms product containing water as a major component and a first distillate containing tetrahydrofuran, 2,5-dihydrofuran and butanol as major components, a second distillation step in which the first distillate is subjected to distillation using a distillation column to separate into a second bottoms product containing tetrahydrofuran and butanol as major components and a second distillate containing 2,5-dihydrofuran as a major component, a third distillation step in which the second bottoms product is subjected to distillation using a distillation column to separate into a third bottoms product containing butanol as a major component and a third distillate containing tetrahydrofuran as a major component, and further c

Abstract: A device and a method for producing high-quality polybutylene succinate are provided. The method for producing polybutylene succinate comprises the steps of: preparing a raw-material slurry by mixing succinic acid or a derivative thereof with 1,4-butanediol in a raw-material slurry preparation tank; storing the raw-material slurry in a raw-material slurry storage tank while maintaining flowability; carrying out an esterification reaction of the raw-material slurry in an esterification reactor; and synthesizing polybutylene succinate with a polycondensation reaction of the ester in a polycondensation reactor, in which the polycondensation reactor is divided, from the upstream side, into at least an initial polycondensation reactor, an intermediate polycondensation reactor, and a final polycondensation reactor, a catalyst is added in an amount from 1000 ppm to 3000 ppm in relation to succinic acid or a derivative thereof, the reaction time in the intermediate polycondensation reactor ranges from 0.