Method and plant for purifying unsaturated compounds

• US 8,394,982 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Issued: 03/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Evonik Operations GmbH (Rag-Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: Evonik Rã¶Hm GmbH (Rag-Stiftung)
• Inventors: Laux, Benedikt, Maul, Christian, Schleep, Volker, Sander, Ingo
• Primary Examiner(s): VALENROD, YEVGENY
• Application Number:
  US12/677,540
• Publication Number:
  US 20100217030A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,656 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 560/209
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 1/0088 Cascade evaporators
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 1/0094 with forced circulation
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 1/22 by bringing a thin layer of the liquid into contact with a heated surface B01D1/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 67/54 by distillation
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 69/54 Acrylic acid esters; Methacrylic acid esters

Abstract

A process for purifying an unsaturated compound, where purification is performed in a plant with evaporators.

Claims

1. A process for purifying an unsaturated compound, wherein said purification is performed in a plant comprising at least three evaporators, wherein one circuit is formed between a first and a second evaporator, and one circuit is formed between the second and a third evaporator, wherein a portion of the unsaturated compound is circulated;

vapours condensed in the first evaporator are isolated;

the vapours condensed in the second evaporator are introduced into the first evaporator; and

a mass flow with which the condensed vapours are isolated from a mixture to be purified in the first evaporator is less than the mass flow with which the condensed vapours from the second evaporator are introduced into the first evaporator.

2. The process according to claim 1, wherein the unsaturated compound is a glycol ester.

3. The process according to claim 2, wherein the glycol ester is a hydroxyalkyl (meth)acrylate.

4. The process according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the mass flow with which the vapours condensed in the first evaporator are isolated from the mixture to be purified to the mass flow with which the condensed vapours from the second evaporator are introduced into the first evaporator is in the range from 0.5 to 0.8.

5. The process according to claim 1, wherein the plant comprises three evaporators.

6. The process according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the mass flow with which the condensed vapours from the second evaporator are introduced into the first evaporator to the mass flow with which the condensed vapours of the third evaporator are introduced into the second evaporator is in the range from 0.75 to 35.

7. The process according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the mixture to be purified is first introduced into the first evaporator.

8. The process according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the mixture to be purified is first introduced into the second evaporator.

9. The process according to claim 7, wherein at least a portion of the mixture to be purified is first introduced into the first evaporator and a further portion of the mixture to be purified is first introduced into the second evaporator.

10. The process according to claim 9, wherein a quantitative ratio of the portion of the mixture to be purified introduced into the first evaporator to the portion of the mixture to be purified introduced into the second evaporator is in the range from 9:

1 to 0.1;

1.

11. The process according to claim 1, wherein the first evaporator is a circulation evaporator.

12. The process according to claim 1, wherein the second evaporator is a circulation evaporator.

13. The process according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and the second evaporator is a forced-circulation evaporator.

14. The process according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and the second evaporator is a natural-circulation evaporator.

15. The process according to claim 1, wherein the third evaporator is a thin-film evaporator.

16. The process according to claim 1, wherein a reactant is converted to a gas phase at a pressure in the range from 0.1 mbar to 20 mbar.

17. The process according to claim 1, wherein the unsaturated compound is converted to a gas phase at a temperature in the range from 40°

C. to 120°

C.

18. The process according to claim 17, wherein the gas loading factor is in the range from 0.8 to 3.0 Pa^0.5.

19. A process for purifying an unsaturated compound, wherein said purification is performed in a plant comprising at least two connected evaporators, wherein a portion of the unsaturated compound is circulated;

vapours condensed in a first evaporator are isolated;

the vapours condensed in a second evaporator are introduced into the first evaporator; and

a mass flow with which the condensed vapours are isolated from a mixture to be purified in the first evaporator is less than the mass flow with which the condensed vapours from the second evaporator are introduced into the first evaporator,

wherein one of the following limitations a)-d) are present;

a) the first evaporator is a circulation evaporator;

b) the second evaporator is a circulation evaporator;

c) at least one of the first and the second evaporator is a forced-circulation evaporator;

d) at least one of the first and the second evaporator is a natural-circulation evaporator.

20. The process according to claim 19, wherein the first evaporator is a circulation evaporator.

21. The process according to claim 19, wherein the second evaporator is a circulation evaporator.

22. The process according to claim 19, wherein at least one of the first and the second evaporator is a forced-circulation evaporator.

23. The process according to claim 19, wherein at least one of the first and the second evaporator is a natural-circulation evaporator.

24. The process according to claim 19, wherein the unsaturated compound is a glycol ester.

25. The process according to claim 24, wherein the glycol ester is a hydroxyalkyl (meth)acrylate.

26. The process according to claim 19, wherein the ratio of the mass flow with which the vapours condensed in the first evaporator are isolated from the mixture to be purified to the mass flow with which the condensed vapours from the second evaporator are introduced into the first evaporator is in the range from 0.5 to 0.8.