Union Carbide Corporation

Dow Technology Investments LLC

Gary L Culp

Liping L Zhang

Harvey E Andresen

Michael L Hutchison

Michael Habenschuss

Clarence P Stadlwieser

Andrew Addie

John P Dever

Steven R Osborne

Bernie B Osborne

John W Crandall

David P Higley

Scott M Farquhar

This invention is concerned with a continuous process for separating higher boiling, heat sensitive components from a liquid product stream. It involves a rapid evaporation of the desired product of the stream in an evaporator which minimizes residence time, such as a falling film evaporator, and feeding the vapors and the remainder of the stream to a separation column where the vaporized products rise in the column. Part of the vaporized products are removed after condensation and then recycled back to the column as a reflux. This reflux after contacting one or more trays is collected and recycled to the evaporator and mixed with the product feed being treated. The liquid remainder of the feed stream is collected at the bottom of the column. The bottom of the column can be kept at a temperature which minimizes any breakdown of the heat sensitive components present therein and, if desired, the bottoms in the column can be quickly withdrawn for treatment elsewhere or for recycling back to the process. A desirable embodiment is to recycle a portion of the residue at the bottom of the column back to the evaporator.

Continuous process for separating high boiling, heat sensitive materials

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Sissonville, WV, United States of America

Gary L Culp