Lyondell Chemical Technology, L.p.

Karl P Rufener

David W Leyshon

Elizabeth I Ross-Medgaarden

Richard J Wolff

Dan D Lindsey

Kimberly A Petry

Sunti Kongkitisupchai

A propylene oxide separation system comprising a heavies distillation column configured to receive a crude propylene oxide stream and discharge a heavies purge bottoms comprising at least one impurity selected from acetone, methanol, aldehydes, aldehyde derivatives, water, heavy hydrocarbons comprising C+, or combinations thereof, and discharge a heavies distillation column overhead stream comprising a majority of the propylene oxide entering with the crude propylene oxide stream, and a first extractive distillation column configured to receive the heavies distillation column overhead stream and a first extraction solvent stream comprising a hydrocarbon solvent, and discharge a lights purge overhead comprising at least one impurity selected from aldehydes (e.g., acetaldehyde, formaldehyde, etc.) methyl formate, methanol, water, Chydrocarbons, Chydrocarbons, or combinations thereof, and discharge a rich solvent bottoms stream comprising a majority of the propylene oxide entering via the heavies distillation column overhead stream. A propylene oxide purification method is also provided.

Alkylene oxide separation system

In the co-production of propylene oxide and styrene monomer, there is produced a sodium-containing heavy residue stream previously suitable only as a low grade fuel. In accordance with the invention, the heavy residue stream is mixed with a hydrocarbon and an aqueous acid, and the resulting mixture is separated into an aqueous sodium salt-containing slurry phase and an organic phase reduced in sodium.

Residual stream upgrading in a propylene oxide-styrene monomer process

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Humble, TX, United States of America

Karl P Rufener