Davy Process Technology Limited

Johnson Matthey Davy Technologies Limited

Adrian Francis Backes

Andrew George Hiles

David Mark Sutton

Robert Wild

Simon Nicholas Tilley

Rikard Umberto Andersson

Paul John Cassidy

In a process for producing fatty alcohol, fatty acid is subjected to esterification with a lower alkanol to form a stream of lower alkyl fatty acid ester(s). The stream is vaporized and then subjected to hydrogenation. The stream is then subjected to transesterification in a wax ester reactor to convert at least a portion of the lower alkyl fatty acid ester(s) to lower alkanol and wax ester(s). The resulting stream is then separated to yield a fatty alcohol(s) steam, a wax ester(s) stream, and an overhead stream comprising fatty alkanol(s) and alkane. The overhead stream is reacted in a wax ester reactor to convert at least a portion of the lower alkyl fatty acid ester to lower alkanol and wax ester(s). The wax ester(s) formed from the alkane is separated, along with any water and/or lower alkanol present.

Process for the production of a fatty alcohol from a fatty acid

A process for the production of an ether optionally with a diol and/or a lactone, by reaction of a corresponding organic feed material selected from unsaturated dicarboxylic acids and/or anhydrides, mono-esters of unsaturated dicarboxylic acids and/or anhydrides, diesters of unsaturated dicarboxylic acids and/or anhydrides, unsaturated lactones, and mixtures of two or more thereof in the presence of hydrogen which comprises the steps of-(a) supplying a stream comprising at least a portion of the organic feed material to a pre-reactor zone comprising catalyst and operating under reaction conditions and contacting said feed with a hydrogen containing stream such that at least some of the carbon carbon double bonds are saturated; (b) vaporising the at least partly saturated feed into the hydrogen containing stream in a vaporizing zone; (c) supplying the hydrogen-containing stream containing the vaporized at least partially saturated feed to a reaction zone comprising catalyst and operating under reaction conditions; (d) recovering from the reaction zone a product stream comprising the ether and optionally diol and/or lactone; and (e)recycling depleted hydrogen-containing stream to at least the pre-reactor zone or the vaporization zone.

Process for the production of ethers

A process is described for the co-production of maleic anhydride and at least one Ccompound selected from butane-1,4-diol, &#x3b3;-butyrolactone, and tetrahydrofuran in which maleic anhydride is produced by partial oxidation of a hydrocarbon feedstock selected from Chydrocarbons and benzene to yield a vaporous reaction effluent stream comprising maleic anhydride, water, unconverted hydrocarbon feedstock, and carbon oxides. A part of the maleic anhydride present in the vaporous reaction effluent stream is condensed to form a crude maleic anhydride stream and leave a residual vaporous stream containing residual amounts of maleic anhydride. Further maleic anhydride is absorbed from the residual vaporous stream by absorption in an organic solvent, water or an aqueous solution. Maleic anhydride is then recovered from the loaded liquid absorptions medium. Said at least one Ccompound is produced by hydrogenation of a Chydrogenation feedstock selected from maleic anhydride, maleic acid, dialkyl maleates, and mixtures of two or more thereof. The process is characterised in that material of the crude maleic anhydride stream is used as the Chydrogenation feedstock or is used to prepare the Chydrogenation feedstock.

Process for the simultaneous production of maleic anhydride and its hydrogenated derivatives

A process is described for the co-production of maleic anhydride and at least one C compound selected from butane-1,4-diol, &ggr;-butyrolactone, and tetrahydrofuran in which maleic anhydride is produced by partial oxidation of a hydrocarbon feedstock selected from C hydrocarbons and benzene to yield a vaporous reaction effluent stream comprising maleic anhydride, water, unconverted hydrocarbon feedstock, and carbon oxides. A part of the maleic anhydride present in the vaporous reaction effluent stream is condensed to form a crude maleic anhydride stream and leave a residual vaporous stream containing residual amounts of maleic anhydride. Further maleic anhydride is absorbed from the residual vaporous stream by absorption in an organic solvent, water or an aqueous solution. Maleic anhydride is then recovered from the loaded liquid absorptions medium. Said at least one C compound is produced by hydrogenation of a C hydrogenation feedstock selected from maleic anhydride, maleic acid, dialkyl maleates, and mixtures of two or more thereof. The process is characterised in that material of the crude maleic anhydride stream is used as the C hydrogenation feedstock or is used to prepare the C hydrogenation feedstock.

Growing community of inventors

London, United Kingdom

Adrian Francis Backes