Process for the preparation of glycols

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018362424-A1
Application number	US-201616060221-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 7, 2016
Priority date	Dec 9, 2015
Publication date	Dec 20, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention provides a continuous process for the preparation of ethylene glycol and 1, 2-propylene glycol from starting material comprising one or more saccharides, said process being carried out in a reactor system comprising a reactor vessel equipped with an external recycle loop and said process comprising the steps of: i) providing the starting material in a solvent, via an inlet, to the external recycle loop and contacting it therein with a retro-aldol catalyst composition to provide an intermediate stream; ii) then contacting said intermediate stream with hydrogen in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst composition in the reactor vessel; iii) withdrawing a product stream comprising glycols from the reactor vessel; iv) providing a portion of said product stream, via an outlet, for separation and purification of the glycols contained therein; and v) recycling the remainder of said product stream via the external recycle loop.

First claim

1 . A continuous process for the preparation of ethylene glycol and 1,2-propylene glycol from starting material comprising one or more saccharides, said process being carried out in a reactor system comprising a reactor vessel equipped with an external recycle loop and said process comprising the steps of:
i) providing the starting material in a solvent, via an inlet, to the external recycle loop and contacting it therein with a retro-aldol catalyst composition to provide an intermediate stream; ii) then contacting said intermediate stream with hydrogen in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst composition in the reactor vessel; iii) withdrawing a product stream comprising glycols from the reactor vessel; iv) providing a portion of said product stream, via an outlet, for separation and purification of the glycols contained therein; and v) recycling the remainder of said product stream via the external recycle loop.

2 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the feed stream comprising said starting material in a solvent is contacted with the retro-aldol catalytic composition in the presence of hydrogen.

3 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the retro-aldol catalyst composition comprises one or more compound, complex or elemental material comprising tungsten, molybdenum, vanadium, niobium, chromium, titanium or zirconium.

4 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the hydrogenation catalytic composition comprises one or more metals selected from the list consisting of iron, cobalt, nickel, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, iridium and platinum.

5 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the hydrogenation catalytic composition is heterogeneous.

6 . The process as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the one or more metals are supported on a solid support.

7 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the reactor vessel operates in an essentially plug flow manner.

8 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the reactor vessel operates with a high degree of back-mixing.

9 . The process as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the portion of the product stream which has been removed for separation and purification of the glycols contained therein is subjected to further reaction in a finishing reactor.

10 . A reactor system for the conversion of saccharide-containing feedstock to glycols, said system comprising a reactor vessel equipped with an external recycle loop, said external loop containing an outlet for removing a product stream and an inlet, downstream of said outlet, for addition of reaction starting materials.

11 . The reactor system according to claim 10 , wherein the reactor vessel operates in an essentially plug flow manner.

12 . The reactor system as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the reactor vessel operates with a high degree of back-mixing.

13 . The reactor system as claimed in claim 12 , also comprising a finishing reactor situated such that the product stream removed via the outlet then passes through said finishing reactor.

Assignees

• Shell Oil Co

Inventors

• Chewter Leslie Andrew
• Lange Jean Paul Andre Marie Joseph Ghislain
• Muthusamy Duraisamy
• Nisbet Timothy Michael
• Van Der Heide Evert
• Huizenga Pieter

Classifications

• B01J19/2465

  externally, i.e. the mixture leaving the vessel and subsequently re-entering it · CPC title

• C07C2521/06

  Silicon, titanium, zirconium or hafnium; Oxides or hydroxides thereof · CPC title

• C07C2523/28

  Molybdenum · CPC title

• C07C29/132 Primary

  by reduction of an oxygen containing functional group · CPC title

• C07C2523/26

  Chromium · CPC title