US 11,724,976 B2
Ethylene oxide purification
Brian J. Ozero, Westhampton Beach, NY (US)
Assigned to Petron Scientech, Inc., Princeton, NJ (US); and Scientech Associates Inc., Westhampton Beach, NY (US)
Filed by Petron Scientech, Inc., Princeton, NJ (US); and Scientech Associates Inc., Westhampton Beach, NY (US)
Filed on Nov. 30, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/72,226.
Application 18/072,226 is a division of application No. 17/760,680, granted, now 11,608,305, previously published as PCT/US2020/049136, filed on Sep. 3, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/900,952, filed on Sep. 16, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0159419 A1, May 25, 2023
Int. Cl. C07C 29/80 (2006.01); B01D 3/00 (2006.01); B01J 3/00 (2006.01); C07C 29/38 (2006.01); C07D 301/32 (2006.01); C07D 303/04 (2006.01); B01D 3/42 (2006.01); B01D 3/40 (2006.01)
CPC C07C 29/80 (2013.01) [B01D 3/008 (2013.01); B01D 3/40 (2013.01); B01D 3/4227 (2013.01); B01J 3/00 (2013.01); C07C 29/38 (2013.01); C07D 301/32 (2013.01); C07D 303/04 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for producing purified ethylene oxide (EO) and monoethylene glycol (MEG) from a quenched and alkaline treated and water washed vaporous reaction stream, wherein the quenched and alkaline treated and water washed vaporous reaction stream comprises EO, CO2, formaldehyde, and acetaldehyde, the apparatus comprising:
a) an EO absorber configured and arranged to contact the quenched and alkaline treated and water washed vaporous reaction stream with water to produce a first absorbate stream having a first EO concentration in water;
b) a first series of conduits configured and arranged to divide the first absorbate stream into a first portion of the first absorbate stream, a second portion of the first absorbate stream, and a third portion of the first absorbate stream;
c) an EO stripper configured and arranged to contact the first portion of the first absorbate stream with steam to produce a vaporous EO stream;
d) an EO reabsorber configured and arranged to contact the vaporous EO stream with the second portion of the first absorbate stream to form a reabsorber bottoms stream, wherein the reabsorber bottoms stream has a second EO concentration in water that is higher than the first EO concentration in water;
e) a second series of conduits configured and arranged to divide the reabsorber bottoms stream into a first portion of the reabsorber bottoms stream and a second portion of the reabsorber bottoms stream;
f) a first lights stripper configured and arranged to contact the first portion of the reabsorber bottoms stream with steam to produce a first lights stripper bottoms, wherein the first lights stripper bottoms has a third EO concentration in water that is higher than the first EO concentration in water;
g) a high purity ethylene oxide distillation column configured and arranged to produce purified EO from the first lights stripper bottoms;
h) a series of conduits configured and arranged to combine the second portion of the reabsorber bottoms stream and the third portion of the first absorbate stream to produce a second lights stripper feed;
i) a second lights stripper configured and arranged to contact the second lights stripper feed with steam to produce a second lights stripper bottom stream, wherein the second lights stripper bottom stream has a fourth EO concentration in water that is lower than the third EO concentration in water; and
j) a glycol reactor configured and arranged to produce MEG from the second lights stripper bottom stream.