US 12,234,204 B2
Process for the separation of glycols
Evert Van Der Heide, Amsterdam (NL); Pieter Huizenga, Amsterdam (NL); Kai Jürgen Fischer, Amsterdam (NL); Carmelo Perez Golf, Amsterdam (NL); and David Pinilla Garcia, Amsterdam (NL)
Assigned to TECHNIP ENERGIES FRANCE SAS., Nanterre (FR)
Appl. No. 17/776,268
Filed by TECHNIP ENERGIES FRANCE SAS., Nanterre (FR)
PCT Filed Dec. 16, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/086583
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 12, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/122853, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 24, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 19216694 (EP), filed on Dec. 16, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0388933 A1, Dec. 8, 2022
Int. Cl. C07C 29/84 (2006.01)
CPC C07C 29/84 (2013.01) 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A process for the production of a high purity first diol, selected from the group consisting of C2 to C7 diols from a product stream comprising two or more C2 to C7 diols, said process comprising the steps of:
(i) providing the product stream to a first distillation column;
(ii) providing an extractant selected from the group of C3 to C6 sugar alcohols and mixtures thereof to the first distillation column;
(iii) operating the first distillation column at a temperature in the range of from 50 to 250° C. and a pressure in the range of from 0.1 to 400 kPa to obtain a first bottoms stream comprising at least a first diol and the extractant and a first top stream comprising a mixture comprising one or more C2 to C7 diols;
(iv) providing the first bottoms stream to a second distillation column operating at a temperature in the range of from 50 to 250° C. and a pressure in the range of from 0.1 to 400 kPa to obtain a second top stream comprising the first diol and diols with atmospheric boiling points at least 10° C. higher than the first diol, and
(v) providing the second top stream to a third distillation column to obtain a third top stream comprising the first diol in a purity higher than 99.5% by weight, wherein the product stream comprises 0.1 to 10 wt % of diols with atmospheric boiling points at least 10° C. higher than the first diol, calculated upon the total weight of C2 to C7 diols in the product stream.