Arkema France

Elf Atochem S.a.

Norsolor

Atochem

Christian Lacroix

Michel Fauconet

Raymond Hess

Jacqueline Bessalem

Sandeep Jain

Etienne Bastien

Nathalie Hess

Michael Stanley DeCourcy

Michael S Decourcy

A method for uniformly distributing a process liquid within a process vessel includes providing a process liquid to a fouling-resistant liquid distributor installed within a process vessel having a cross-sectional area; causing rotational movement of the fouling-resistant liquid distributor; uniformly distributing the process liquid over the cross-sectional area within the process vessel; and simultaneously self-rinsing the fouling-resistant liquid distributor with a portion of the process liquid during uniform distribution. A system is also disclosed which includes a supply of process fluid, a stationary conduit and a liquid distribution head attached to the conduit. The liquid distribution head is motive, powered by a fluid, and includes at least one process liquid delivery port. The at least one process liquid delivery port is configured to provide a +10&#xb0; or greater angle of liquid coverage when the liquid distribution head is moving.

Method and system for distributing liquid in (meth)acrylic monomer process vessels

The invention is directed to a process for recovering/purifying (meth)acrylic acid which does not use azeotropic solvent and is based on the use of two columns for purifying a reaction mixture comprising (meth)acrylic acid. The process according to the invention includes a dry vacuum pump condensation system, which makes it possible to reduce the amount of final aqueous discharges.

Process for producing (meth)acrylic acid

The invention relates to the production of (meth)acrylic acid, and to implementation of a step of condensing water contained in a recycled gas effluent and/or in the air feed in a (meth)acrylic acid production process, which further includes a process for purifying a reaction mixture comprising (meth)acrylic acid without using azeotropic solvent and based on the use of two distillation columns.

(Meth)acrylic acid production process

An acrylic acid ester is manufactured by reaction of the said acid and an alcohol chosen from C.sub.5 or above primary and secondary aliphatic monoalcohols, in the presence of an acid as esterification catalyst and of a polymerization inhibitor, the alcohol being capable of forming a heteroazeotrope with water, the water formed by the esterification reaction being entrained by distillation in a column in the form of a heteroazeotropic mixture with the alcohol, which mixture, containing an amount of unreacted acrylic acid, is then subjected, after condensation, to a separation in order to give an upper organic phase which is recycled to the head of the distillation column and a lower aqueous phase which is withdrawn; according to the invention, an extraction (for example in an extraction column EC) of the acrylic acid contained in the condensed heteroazeotropic mixture (M) intended for phase separation with an esterifying-alcohol-rich mixture, and the acrylic acid thus extracted is returned to the head of the distillation column (DC), as a constituent of the recycled organic phase, with an increase in the level of reflux into the distillation column (DC) relative to the natural reflux.

Process for the manufacture of alkyl acrylates by direct esterification

In this esterification, catalysed by H.sub.2 SO.sub.4, the crude reaction mixture comprising ester, butanol, acrylic acid, BuSO.sub.4 H and traces of H.sub.2 SO.sub.4 is obtained; BuSO.sub.4 H is hydrolysed (in R2) to H.sub.2 SO.sub.4 using pure water or water generated during the reaction; after hydrolysis, the medium is separated by settling (in D2) into an organic phase containing ester, butanol and part of the unconverted acid; and an aqueous phase containing H.sub.2 SO.sub.4 and the remainder of the unconverted acid; the organic phase is washed under alkaline conditions in order to neutralize the acrylic acid to alkaline acrylate which is soluble in the aqueous phase and then the neutralized organic phase is washed with water; the acid present in alkaline salt form in the aqueous phase from the 1st basic neutralization is regenerated by addition of the acidic aqueous phase (8) resulting from the separation by settling (in D2) of the hydrolysis stage; the acid (10) thus regenerated in this aqueous phase is extracted (in C5) by a solvent chosen from butanol, butyl acrylate or a mixture of butyl acrylate and butanol; the organic phase (13) obtained at the head of the extraction column (C5), containing mainly acid and butanol or ester, or a mixture of butanol and ester, is recycled to the esterification reactor (R1); the aqueous phase (15) recovered at the foot of the column (C5) is conveyed as feed to a distillation column (C6) for recovering butanol (16) at the head, for the purpose of recycling it upstream and of discarding the spent aqueous liquors, which are virtually free from organic pollution.

Process for the manufacture of butyl acrylate by direct esterification

Quaternization process

The purification by distillation of glycidyl (meth)acrylate containing light products containing epichlorohydrin and light impurities, and heavy impurities comprises: in a first stage, a distillation of the glycidyl (meth)acrylate to be purified is conducted in the presence of a first solvent, e.g., water, capable of forming a low boiling point heteroazeotrope with the light impurities and epichlorohydrin, so as to obtain a head fraction which consists essentially of a solvent-light products heteroazeotrope; and, in a second stage, the glycidyl (meth)acrylate thus freed from the light products is subjected to a distillation in the presence of a second solvent, e.g., water, capable of forming a low boiling point azeotrope with glycidyl (meth)acrylate, so as to obtain a head fraction consisting essentially of the second solvent and the required pure glycidyl (meth)acrylate, thus freed from the heavy impurities, the said solvents being present, during these two distillations, throughout the distillation zone, including the boiler.

Process for the purification of glycidyl (meth)acrylate

For the preparation of an aqueous solution of unsaturated quaternary ammonium salts of the formula (I):

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Forbach, France

Christian Lacroix