Basf Aktiengesellschaft

Bernd Bessling

Hans Hasse

Heinz Auer

Till Adrian

Maximilian Vicari

Friedrich Sauer

Hans Hammer

Gerhard Wagner

Jean Werner Knab

Gerhard Theis

Frans Vansant

Werner Peschel

Bernd Lohe

Thomas Mayer

Peter Reuter

Walter Disteldorf

Matthias Kummer

Wolfgang Brox

Stephan Scholl

Peter M Lorz

Thomas R&uuml;hl

Bernhard Ulrich

Winfried Terjung

Lutz Hilprecht

Axel Werner Polt

Sebastian Zeck

Rudiger Welker

J&uuml;rgen Pl&uuml;ckhan

Axel Hildebrandt

Klaus Gieselberg

Gerhard Brudi

Rubens Ballenweg

Gunter Spiegel

Ulrich Loffler

Jurgen Pluckhan

The invention relates to an apparatus and a process for the preparation of anhydrous or substantially anhydrous formic acid. This apparatus is constructed partly or entirely of substantially zirconium-free materials. The extractant employed is a liquid of the general formula I where the radicals Rand Rare alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl or aralkyl groups, or Rand Rjointly, together with the N atom, form a heterocyclic 5- or 6-membered ring, and only one of the radicals is an aryl group, and where Ris hydrogen or a C&#x2013;C-alkyl group. The apparatus has a synthesis reactor (), a hydrolysis reactor (), three distillation devices () and an extraction device ().

Material for a facility for the production of anhydrous formic acid

The invention relates to a process for obtaining anhydrous or substantially anhydrous formic acid, in which firstly aqueous formic acid is prepared by hydrolysis of methyl formate and is freed from water in the subsequent work-up. The process has the special feature that steam, which is employed for the hydrolysis of methyl formate and for heating a distillation column serving for work-up, is also used as stripping steam for waste-water stripping. The stripped waste water is produced during work-up.

Waste water treatment in a method for producing formic acid which is free of water

The invention relates to a process for obtaining anhydrous or substantially anhydrous formic acid, in which firstly aqueous formic acid is produced by hydrolysis of methyl formate, with the methanol content in the methyl formate having been reduced in advance. The process according to the invention has the special feature that&#x2014;before the hydrolysis of the methyl formate&#x2014;the methanol content of the methanol-containing methyl formate is reduced in a distillation column, this distillation column simultaneously being employed for other separation functions during work-up of the formic acid.

Method for producing anhydrous formic acid

The invention relates to a process for obtaining anhydrous or substantially anhydrous formic acid in which, during the work-up, a compound of the general formula Iwhere the radicals R1 and R2 are alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl or aralkyl groups, or R1 and R2 jointly, together with the N atom, form a heterocyclic 5- or 6-membered ring, and only one of the radicals is an aryl group, and where R3 is hydrogen or a C1-C4-alkyl group,is employed simultaneously as extractant for formic acid and as antifoam for a distillation process.

Utilization of an extracting agent as antifoaming agent in the production of anhydrous formic acid

In a process for purification of ethylene oxide by distillation an aqueous mixture comprising ethylene oxide, formaldehyde and at least 5% by weight of water is introduced via a feed into a distillation apparatus comprising at least one distillation column, the mixture being introduced at a height above the bottom of at least 8 theoretical stages, the ethylene oxide is taken off at the top and in the bottom phase a mixture is obtained which contains less than 5% by weight of ethylene oxide.

Pure ethylene oxide distillation process

A continuous process for the preparation of monoethanolamine, diethanolamine and triethanolamine by reacting ammonia and ethylene oxide in liquid phase in the presence of water as catalyst in a pressure column is proposed, where, as a result of the heat of the reaction, some of the ammonia evaporates, condenses at the head of the column and is again charged to the column, the reaction mixture at the bottom end of the pressure column is drawn off and then separated, the pressure column is constructed as a reactive distillation column (I) with evaporator at the bottom (S) and where, by means of inputting energy via the evaporator at the bottom (S), the weight ratio of monoethanolamine to diethanolamine to triethanolamine is controlled and, via the ratio of ammonia to ethylene oxide in the feed to the reactive distillation column (I), the ammonia proportion in the bottom product from the reactive distillation column (I) is controlled.

Continuous preparation of monoethanolamine, diethanolamine and triethanolamine

Method for cleaning off-gas flows

A process for the distillative recovery of high purity monoethylene glycol from the hydrolysis, product of ethylene oxide by pressure dewatering, preferably in a battery, vacuum dewatering and subsequent purifying distillation, wherein during the vacuum dewatering an aqueous stream is withdrawn which contains-monoethylene glycol in a concentration below 1% by weight, preferably below 0.1% by weight, medium boilers and low boilers. The withdrawn aqueous stream is, optionally after further workup, removed from the system.

Method for producing highly pure monoethylene glycol

On-spec phthalic anhydride is prepared by distillative purification of crude phthalic anhydride by a process in which crude phthalic anhydride is fed to a distillation column which is operated at reduced pressure, the low boilers are removed at the top or in the vicinity of the top of the distillation column and the on-spec phthalic anhydride is removed from the column via a side take-off.

Method for producing phthalic anhylic anhydride according to specifications

A process for the distillative recovery of high purity monoethylene glycol from the hydrolysis product of ethylene oxide by pressure dewatering, vacuum dewatering and subsequent purifying distillation, which includes the pressure dewatering columns or at least the first pressure dewatering column of the battery ( ) having a stripping section with at least one separating stage, preferably with from 2 to 10 separating stages, particularly preferably with from 3 to 6 stages, and a portion of the overhead stream of the pressure dewatering column(s) ( ) having a stripping section being removed from the system.

Method and device for obtaining isobutenes from conjugated hydrocarbons

Process for distilling ethylene oxide

A process for preparing esters from alcohol and carboxylic acid by a) feeding a mixture, comprising at least alcohol and/or carboxylic acid as educts, into a distillation column with separated sections containing reactive and conventional internals, wherein the reactive internals are arranged below the inlet of the mixture and conventional internals are arranged above the inlet of the mixture, b) reaction of the alcohol and the carboxylic acid in the reactive internals in presence of a catalyst, c) distillative separation of the evolving reaction mixture into the higher boiling ester and a lower boiling azeotrope containing alcohol, water and ester, wherein the ester accumulates in the bottom and the azeotrope is removed overhead, d) separation of the azeotrope in a phase separator in an aqueous phase and in an organic phase and the organic phase to be returned to the top of the column, wherein in step b) a heterogenous catalyst is utilized and in step c) the ester is taken off above the bottom as pure product between further conventional internals which differ in their arrangement from those in step a) and which are arranged above the inlet of a circulating evaporator.

Process for preparing esters of carboxylic acids

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Grünstadt, Germany

Bernd Bessling