Process for equilibrium-limited reactions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016145184-A1
Application number	US-201414888535-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 2, 2014
Priority date	May 3, 2013
Publication date	May 26, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A process for conducting equilibrium-limited chemical reactions that produce water as a reaction product. Specifically, a process that uses a reactive chromatography unit (RCU) to improve the efficiency of equilibrium-limited reactions, such as a process for reacting glycol ether (GE) and carboxylic acid (CA) to form water and glycol ether ester (GEE). The process includes supplying GE and CA to the RCU, where one of either the CA or the GE is in a stoichiometric deficit relative to the other reactant. The reactant in the stoichiometric deficit reacts in the presence of the catalyst in the RCU to form a mixture of GEE and water. A raffinate is separated from the mixture using the separation media of the RCU contains at least the GEE. An extract separated from the mixture using the separation media of the RCU contains at least the water.

First claim

1 . A process for an equilibrium-limited reaction of glycol ether (GE) and carboxylic acid (CA) to form a mixture comprising water and glycol ether ester (GEE), where the equilibrium-limited reaction is a reversible reaction having an equilibrium conversion value (X e ) for a predetermined temperature, the process comprising:
supplying to a reactive chromatography unit (RCU) GE and CA and where the RCU has a catalyst for the reaction and media to separate GEE and water; reacting at the predetermined temperature CA and GE in the presence of the catalyst in the RCU to form the mixture comprising GEE and water; and separating the product mixture with the separation media into a raffinate and extract, where separating the product mixture produces a conversion value for the equilibrium limited reaction that is greater than the equilibrium conversion value for the predetermined temperature.

2 . The process of claim 1 , where the supplying GE and CA to the RCU includes supplying CA in a stoichiometric deficit relative to GE to the RCU, and wherein reacting the CA includes reacting the CA in the stoichiometric deficit relative to GE in the presence of the catalyst in the RCU to form the mixture comprising GEE and water.

3 . The process of claim 2 , where, in supplying the RCU with GE and CA, the GE acts as an eluent in both the raffinate and the extract.

4 . The process of claim 3 , where the raffinate includes GEE and GE and the process further comprises:
separating the raffinate from the mixture into a GEE fraction and a recycle fraction, where the recycle fraction contains the GE and a cut of the GEE; and returning the recycle fraction to the RCU.

5 . The process of claim 3 , further comprising separating the extract from the mixture into at least a GE/residual unreacted CA fraction containing both GE and residual unreacted CA and an GE/Water fraction; and
returning the GE/residual unreacted CA fraction to the RCU.

6 . The process of claim 2 , where reacting CA in the stoichiometric deficit relative to GE is to extinction in the presence of the catalyst in the RCU.

7 . The process of claim 1 , where the supplying GE and CA to the RCU includes supplying GE in a stoichiometric deficit relative to CA to the RCU, and wherein the reacting the GE includes reacting the GE in the stoichiometric deficit relative to CA in the presence of the catalyst in the RCU to form the mixture comprising GEE and water.

8 . The process of claim 7 , where, in supplying the RCU with GE and CA, the CA acts as an eluent in both the raffinate and the extract.

9 . The process of claim 8 , where the raffinate includes GEE and CA; the process further comprising
separating the raffinate from the mixture into a GEE fraction and a recycle fraction, where the recycle fraction contains the CA and a cut of the GEE; and returning the recycle fraction to the RCU.

10 . The process of claim 8 , including separating the extract from the mixture into at least a CA/residual unreacted GE fraction that contains both CA and residual unreacted GE and a CA/Water fraction; and
returning the CA/residual unreacted GE fraction to the RCU.

11 . The process of claim 7 , where reacting GE in the stoichiometric deficit relative to CA is to extinction with the catalyst in the RCU.

12 . The process of claim 1 , where the RCU includes an acidic media to both catalyze the reaction and to separate the raffinate and the extract.

13 . The process of claim 12 , where the acidic media is a sulfonated ion exchange resin.

14 . The process of claim 1 , where CA is selected from the group consisting of acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid or a combination thereof.

15 . The process of claim 1 , where the GE has the formula:
R′—(OCH 2 CHR″) n —OH
where R′ is an alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms or an aryl group having 6 to 11 carbon atoms; R″ is hydrogen, methyl, or ethyl; and n is an integer from 1 to 4.

Assignees

• Georgia Tech Res Inst
• Dow Global Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Kawajiri Yoshiaki
• Bommarius Andreas Sebastian
• Frank Timothy C
• Donaldson Mega E
• Oh Jungmin
• Agrawal Gaurav

Classifications

• B01D15/362 Primary

  Cation-exchange · CPC title

• C07C51/48 Primary

  by liquid-liquid treatment · CPC title

• Y02P20/10

  Process efficiency · CPC title

• B01D15/1857

  Reactive simulated moving beds · CPC title

• B01D15/3857

  Reaction chromatography · CPC title