Texaco Chemical Company

Texaco Chemical Inc.

Huntsman Ici Chemicals LLC

Huntsman Specialty Chemicals Corporation

William K Culbreth, Iii

Yu-Hwa E Sheu

David G Pottratz

George P Speranza

Edward T Marquis

Mark A Mueller

Michael W Peters

Wei-Yang Su

Mark E Taylor

Carter G Naylor

William A Smith

Kyle Lee Preston

Timothy L Lambert

Eileen T Nguyen

David Durham Chess

Peter Stephen Morford

David George Pottratz

Oxygenate impurities are removed from an organic chemical feed or stream by treatment with an aqueous reducing agent and aqueous base, accompanied by separation. An aqueous solution of reducing agent and an aqueous solution of base are typically introduced sequentially into the organic chemical stream, where they may react with any oxygenate impurities present. The reaction products of the oxygenate impurities and aqueous reducing agent and aqueous base are water soluble, and are typically removed in sequential fashion via any suitable separation means. For example, oxygenate impurities such as formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde, and methyl formate may be removed from a propylene stream by treating the stream sequentially with aqueous sodium bisulfite and aqueous sodium hydroxide, accompanied by separation of the oxygenate impurity reaction products in coalescers.

Method for removal of oxygenate impurities from organic chemical streams

Peroxides are prepared from organic compounds and oxygen in a reaction vessel by introducing organic compound and oxygen to the reaction vessel and by simultaneously withdrawing a first liquid product stream from adjacent the top of the reactor and a second liquid product stream from adjacent the bottom of the reaction vessel. Suitable organic compounds include, but are not limited to, alkanes and all aryl compounds.

Peroxide production

The liquid and gaseous products formed by reacting oxygen with isobutane in an oxidation reactor are separately processed; the liquid reaction product being charged to a distillation zone and separated into a lower boiling isobutane fraction and a higher boiling fraction comprising tertiary butyl alcohol and tertiary butyl hydroperoxide; the gaseous reaction product comprising inert gases and vaporized and/or entrained isobutane being cooled by an amount sufficient to condense isobutane contained therein for recycle to the oxidation reactor; the remaining gases, including isobutane being charged to a tertiary butyl alcohol absorber to obtain a solution of isobutane in tertiary butyl alcohol that is recycled to the distillation zone.

Tertiary butyl alcohol absorption process for recovering propylene and

Propylene oxide adducts of oxyethylene glycols are used as extractive distillation agents in an extractive distillation column in the distillation of propylene oxide contaminated with water, acetone and methanol to obtain an overhead propylene oxide distillate fraction contaminated with reduced quantities of water, acetone and methanol, and a heavier bottoms distillation fraction containing substantially all of the extractive distillation agent, and acetone and some of the methanol and water introduced into the distillation column.

Use of propylene oxide adducts in the purification of propylene oxide by

An extractive distillation agent comprising a mixture of polyoxypropylene glycols is fed to an extractive distillation column used for the distillation of propylene oxide contaminated with water, acetone and methanol to obtain an overhead distillate anhydrous propylene oxide fraction contaminated with reduced quantities of methanol and a heavier bottoms distillation fraction containing the polyoxypropylene glycols, water and acetone and some of the methanol introduced into the distillation column.

Use of mixed polyoxypropylene glycols in the extractive distillation of

Contaminants are removed from impure propylene oxide by fractionating in a first column to remove overhead essentially all of the pentenes and pentanes and most of the oxygen-containing impurities to provide a partially purified first propylene oxide bottoms fraction, extractively distilling the first bottoms fraction in a second extractive column using a C.sub.2 to C.sub.6 alkylene glycol extractive distillation agent to form a second overhead fraction comprising propylene oxide, hexenes, hexanes, water, residual quantities of pentenes and pentanes and oxygen-containing impurities, extractively distilling the second overhead fraction in a third column using a C.sub.6 to C.sub.10 alkane hydrocarbon extractive distillation agent to form a third bottoms fraction comprising the extractive distillation agent, propylene oxide, hexenes, hexanes, residual quantities of pentenes and pentanes and water, and extractively distilling said third bottoms fraction in a fourth column using a C.sub.6 to C.sub.10 alkane hydrocarbon extractive distillation agent to form a fourth overhead fraction consisting essentially of propylene oxide.

Staged purification of contaminated propylene oxide

An extractive distillation agent consisting essentially of dipropylene glycol is fed to an extractive distillation column used for the distillation of propylene oxide contaminated with water, acetone and methanol to obtain an overhead distillate fraction consisting of essentially anhydrous propylene oxide contaminated with reduced quantities of acetone and methanol, and a heavier bottoms distillation fraction containing substantially all of the dipropylene glycol, water and acetone and some of the methanol introduced into the distillation column.

Extractive distillation of propylene oxide

An extractive distillation agent consisting essentially of 2-methyl-2,4-pentanediol is fed to an extractive distillation column used for the distillation of propylene oxide contaminated with water, acetone and methanol to obtain an overhead distillate fraction consisting of essentially anhydrous propylene oxide contaminated with reduced quantities of acetone and methanol, and a heavier bottoms distillation fraction containing substantially all of the 2-methyl-2,4-pentanediol, water and acetone and some of the methanol introduced into the distillation column.

Purification of contaminated propylene oxide by extractive distillation

An extractive distillation agent consisting essentially of a monohydroxy alkoxyalkanol containing 5 to 8 carbon atoms is fed to an extractive distillation column used for the distillation of propylene oxide contaminated with water to obtain an overhead distillate fraction consisting of essentially anhydrous propylene oxide, and a heavier bottoms distillation fraction containing substantially all of the monohydroxy alkoxyalkanol and water introduced into the distillation column.

Removal of water, acetone and methanol from propylene oxide by

An extractive distillation agent consisting essentially of glycerol-1,3-di-t-butylether is fed to an extractive distillation column used for the distillation of propylene oxide contaminated with water to obtain an overhead distillate fraction consisting of essentially anhydrous propylene oxide, and a heavier bottoms distillation fraction containing substantially all of the glycerol-1,3-di-t-butylether and water introduced into the distillation column.

Dehydration of propylene oxide by extracting distillation

An extractive distillation agent consisting essentially of ethylene carbonate, propylene carbonate or a mixture thereof is fed to an extractive distillation column used for the distillation of propylene oxide contaminated with water to obtain an overhead distillate fraction consisting of essentially anhydrous propylene oxide, and a heavier bottoms distillation fraction containing substantially all of the extraction distillation solvent and water introduced into the distillation column.

Removal of water and methanol from propylene oxide by extractive

An extractive distillation agent consisting essentially of triethylene glycol is fed to an extractive distillation column used for the distillation of propylene oxide contaminated with water, acetone and methanol to obtain an overhead distillate fraction consisting of essentially anhydrous propylene oxide contaminated with reduced quantities of acetone and methanol, and a heavier bottoms distillation fraction containing substantially all of the triethylene glycol, water and acetone and some of the methanol introduced into the distillation column.

Purification of propylene oxide by extractive distillation

An extractive distillation agent consisting essentially of 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone is fed to an extractive distillation column used for the distillation of propylene oxide contaminated with water, acetone and methanol to obtain an overhead distillate fraction consisting of essentially anhydrous propylene oxide contaminated with reduced quantities of acetone and methanol, and a heavier bottoms distillation fraction containing substantially all of the 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, water and acetone and some of the methanol introduced into the distillation column.

Propylene oxide purification by extractive distillation

An extractive distillation agent consisting essentially of sulfolane is fed to an extractive distillation column used for the distillation of propylene oxide contaminated with water to obtain an overhead distillate fraction consisting of essentially anhydrous propylene oxide, and a heavier bottoms distillation fraction containing substantially all of the sulfolane and water introduced into the distillation column.

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Austin, TX, United States of America

William K Culbreth, Iii