PROCESS FOR PREPARING ETHYLENE GLYCOL
First Claim
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1. A liquid phase process for the production of ethylene glycol comprising:
- providing a water stream and an aqueous ethylene oxide feed stream;
dividing the aqueous ethylene oxide feed stream into at least a first equal proportion and a second equal proportion;
combining the first proportion and the water stream to form a first feedstream;
feeding the first feedstream into an inlet of a first adiabatic reactor, the inlet of the first adiabatic reactor being at an inlet temperature;
reacting the ethylene oxide and water in the presence of a first ion exchange resin catalyst in the first adiabatic reactor to thereby produce a first reactor effluent stream containing water, ethylene glycol, and unreacted ethylene oxide;
withdrawing the first reactor effluent stream from an outlet of the first adiabatic reactor;
cooling the first reactor effluent stream through a heat-exchanger located downstream of the first adiabatic reactor to the hydration temperature; and
combining the second proportion and the cooled product stream to form a second feedstream;
conveying the second feedstream to an inlet of a second adiabatic reactor, the inlet of the second adiabatic reactor being at the hydrolysis temperature;
reacting ethylene oxide and water contained in the second feedstream in the presence of a second ion exchange resin catalyst in the second adiabatic reactor to thereby produce a second reactor effluent stream containing water, ethylene glycol, and unreacted ethylene oxide,wherein the first adiabatic reactor and the second adiabatic reactor each contain an ion exchange resin catalyst in a fixed catalyst bed and the outlet temperature is higher than the inlet temperature.
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Abstract
An improved catalytic hydration process that includes a catalytic hydration reaction section containing adiabatic reactors with ion exchange resin catalyst and which maintains low resin swelling and excellent selectivity while also reducing process complexity and increasing versatility.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A liquid phase process for the production of ethylene glycol comprising:
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providing a water stream and an aqueous ethylene oxide feed stream; dividing the aqueous ethylene oxide feed stream into at least a first equal proportion and a second equal proportion; combining the first proportion and the water stream to form a first feedstream; feeding the first feedstream into an inlet of a first adiabatic reactor, the inlet of the first adiabatic reactor being at an inlet temperature; reacting the ethylene oxide and water in the presence of a first ion exchange resin catalyst in the first adiabatic reactor to thereby produce a first reactor effluent stream containing water, ethylene glycol, and unreacted ethylene oxide; withdrawing the first reactor effluent stream from an outlet of the first adiabatic reactor; cooling the first reactor effluent stream through a heat-exchanger located downstream of the first adiabatic reactor to the hydration temperature; and combining the second proportion and the cooled product stream to form a second feedstream; conveying the second feedstream to an inlet of a second adiabatic reactor, the inlet of the second adiabatic reactor being at the hydrolysis temperature; reacting ethylene oxide and water contained in the second feedstream in the presence of a second ion exchange resin catalyst in the second adiabatic reactor to thereby produce a second reactor effluent stream containing water, ethylene glycol, and unreacted ethylene oxide, wherein the first adiabatic reactor and the second adiabatic reactor each contain an ion exchange resin catalyst in a fixed catalyst bed and the outlet temperature is higher than the inlet temperature. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification