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Lurgi Zimmer Gmbh

Rolf Ambrassat

Randolf Reimann

In an apparatus for the recovery of ethylene glycol in a polyethylene terephthalate(PET) production process water accumulating in the esterification reaction is mixed with a process fluid containing 2-methyl-1,3-dioxolane (MDO). The mixing is carried out in a tank upstream of a rectification column. Through the increase in the water content in the fluid, a shift in the reaction equilibrium takes place and consequently a cleavage of the 2-methyl-1,3-dioxolane present into ethylene glycol and acetaldehyde takes place. Following the cleavage reaction, the mixture is fed from the tank into a rectification column, whereby the ethylene glycol produced from the cleavage reaction is returned to the PET production process.

Apparatus for the recovery of ethylene glycol in the production of polyethylene terephthalate

A method and apparatus are disclosed for the recovery of ethylene glycol in a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) production process, in which water accumulating in the esterification reaction is mixed with a process fluid containing 2-methyl-1,3-dioxolane (MDO). The mixing is carried out in a tank arranged upstream of a rectification column. Through the increase in the water content in the fluid, a shift in the reaction equilibrium takes place and consequently a cleavage of the 2-methyl-1,3-dioxolane present into ethylene glycol and acetaldehyde takes place. Following the cleavage reaction, the mixture is fed from the tank into a rectification column, whereby the ethylene glycol produced from the cleavage reaction is returned to the PET production process.

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Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Rolf Ambrassat