Chemcycles, Inc.

Glenn F Cunningham

Donald H Westermann

Heather K Miles

A method and apparatus for purifying acetonitrile from low grade acetonitriles. Low grade acetonitrile from DNA synthesis, HPLC and pharmaceutical drug manufacturing process wastes which comprise acetonitrile, a first set of impurities having a lower boiling temperature than acetonitrile and a second set of impurities having a boiling temperature greater than acetonitrile are processed to produce a purified acetonitrile by first introducing the low grade acetonitrile into a first distillation column and separating the acetonitrile and first set of impurities from the second set of impurities, the acetonitrile and first set of impurities being drawn as a vapor from the first distillation column, the second set of impurities being produced as the first distillation column bottoms. The vapor is then condensed to produce a feed stream that is introduced into a second distillation column where the first set of impurities are separated from the acetonitrile, the purified acetonitrile being collected as the second distillation column bottoms.

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Houston, TX, United States of America

Glenn F Cunningham