Johnson Matthey Davy Technologies Limited

John Swinney

Graham Reed

David John Watson

Simon Nicholas Tilley

Paul Gordon

Dena Roberts

David J Watson

A process for the production of glycolic acid or a derivative thereof comprises: reacting formaldehyde with carbon monoxide and water in a carbonylation reactor in the presence of a sulfur catalyst, said reactor operating under suitable conditions, such that glycolic acid is formed; recovering a first product stream comprising glycolic acid, impurities and a sulfur species in the carbonylation reactor; passing the first product stream to an esterification reactor where it is subjected to esterification to form an alkylglycolate and wherein the esterification is catalysed by the sulfur species recovered in the first product stream; recovering a second product stream comprising the alkylglycolate, sulfur species and impurities from the esterification reactor; separating the sulfur species from the second product stream and recycling it to the carbonylation reactor in step (a) to form a sulphur depleted second product stream; separating the alkylglycolate from the sulphur depleted second product stream in a distillation zone; and recovering the alkylglycolate and converting the alkylglycolate to glycolic acid.

Process for the production of glycolic acid

In a method for removing methane from feed gas having a methane concentration of 2 mole % or less, the feed gas is optionally mixed with make-up methane or air and passed through a heat exchanger to heat the gas to an oxidation reactor inlet temperature T. The heated stream is passed to the reactor where the methane is oxidised. A gas stream including the products of the oxidation reaction are removed with the gas stream being at a reactor outlet temperature Thigher than the inlet temperature T. The gas stream is then passed through the heat exchanger against the reactor stream to recover heat from the gas stream removed in the reactor and to heat the reactor stream. The outlet temperature Tis measured and the inlet temperature Tis controlled by adjusting the relative amount of make-up methane and/or air added to the feed gas.

Process for removing methane from a gas

A process for the production of glycolic acid or a derivative thereof comprises: reacting formaldehyde with carbon monoxide and water in a carbonylation reactor in the presence of a sulfurcatalyst, said reactor operating under suitable conditions, such that glycolic acid is formed; recovering a first product stream comprising glycolic acid, impurities and a sulfur species in the carbonylation reactor; passing the first product stream to an esterification reactor where it is subjected to esterification to form an alkylglycolate and wherein the esterification is catalysed by the sulfur species recovered in the first product stream; recovering a second product stream comprising the alkylglycolate, sulfur species and impurities from the esterification reactor; separating the sulfur species from the second product stream and recycling it to the carbonylation reactor in step (a) to form a sulphur depleted second product stream; separating the alkylglycolate from the sulphur depleted second product stream in a distillation zone; and recovering the alkylglycolate and converting the alkylglycolate to glycolic acid.

A method for treating a crude natural gas feed stream comprising methane and having a first carbon dioxide concentration, said method comprising the steps of: subjecting the crude natural gas feed stream to a separation process to provide: a purified natural gas stream having a second carbon dioxide content which is lower than the first carbon dioxide concentration in said crude natural gas stream; and, a carbon dioxide stream comprising carbon dioxide as the major component and methane; recovering the purified natural gas steam; optionally mixing the carbon dioxide stream with make-up methane and/or make-up air; passing the carbon dioxide stream and optional make-up methane or air through a heat exchanger to raise the temperature of the stream to the desired inlet temperature Tof an oxidation reactor; optionally mixing the carbon dioxide stream with make-up methane and/or make-up air; passing the heated stream from step (d) and any optional make-up methane and/or air to the oxidation reactor containing an oxidation catalyst, where the methane is oxidised; removing a gas stream including the products of the oxidation reaction from the reactor, said gas stream being at an outlet temperature Twhich is higher than the inlet temperature T; passing the gas stream removed in step (g) through the heat exchanger against the carbon dioxide stream from step (a) to allow the heat to be recovered from the gas stream removed in step (g) and utilised to heat the carbon dioxide stream in step (d); and measuring the outlet temperature Tand controlling the inlet temperature Tby adjusting the amount of make-up methane and/or air added in step (c) and/or step (e).

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London, United Kingdom

John Swinney