Process for producing acrylic acids and acrylates

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9487466-B2
Application number	US-201113327888-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2011
Priority date	Dec 16, 2011
Publication date	Nov 8, 2016
Grant date	Nov 8, 2016

Abstract

In one embodiment, the invention is to process for producing acrylics. The process includes the steps of contacting a crude product stream with an extraction agent mixture at a temperature less than 50° C.

First claim

We claim:

1. A process for producing an acrylate product, the process comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a crude product stream comprising acrylate product comprising acrylic acid, alkylenating agent comprising formaldehyde and water;
(b) contacting a portion of the crude product stream or a derivative stream thereof with at least one extraction agent to form an extract stream comprising acrylate product and extraction agent and a raffinate stream comprising alkylenating agent and water, wherein step (b) is carried out at a temperature less than 50° C.; and
(c) recovering acrylate product.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the extract stream comprises less than 10 wt. % alkylenating agent.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the extract stream comprises at least 1 wt. % acrylate product.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the extract stream comprises at least 10 wt. % acrylate product.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the extract stream comprises at least 1 wt. % acetic acid.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein the extract stream comprises at least 2 wt. % acrylate product and acetic acid combined.

7. The process of claim 1 , wherein the extract stream comprises at least 20 wt. % acrylate product and acetic acid combined.

8. The process of claim 1 , wherein the extract stream comprises less than 7 wt. % water.

9. The process of claim 1 , wherein the extraction selectivity to acrylate product is at least 10%.

10. The process of claim 1 , wherein the acrylate product in the extract stream comprises at least 50% of the acrylate in the crude product stream.

11. The process of claim 1 , wherein the alkylenating agent in the extract stream comprises less than 50% of the alkylenating agent in the crude product stream.

12. The process of claim 1 , wherein the at least one extraction agent has a higher selectivity to acrylate product than the alkylenating agent.

13. The process of claim 1 , wherein the at least one extraction agent has a higher selectivity to acrylate product than acetic acid.

14. The process of claim 1 , wherein the raffinate stream comprises at least 1 wt. % alkylenating agent.

15. The process of claim 1 , wherein the raffinate stream comprises at least 10 wt. % alkylenating agent.

16. The process of claim 1 , wherein the raffinate stream comprises no more than 10 wt. % acrylate.

17. The process of claim 1 , wherein the raffinate stream comprises no more than 50 wt. % acetic acid.

18. The process of claim 1 , wherein the raffinate stream comprises no more than 60 wt. % acrylate product and acetic acid combined.

19. The process of claim 1 , wherein the acrylate product in the raffinate stream is no more than 50% of the acrylate product in the crude product stream.

20. The process of claim 1 , wherein the alkylenating agent in the raffinate stream at least 50% of the alkylenating agent in the crude product stream.

21. The process of claim 1 , wherein the at least one extraction agent is selected from the group consisting of cyclohexane, toluene, isopropyl acetate, o-xylene, p-xylene, m-xylene, butyl acetate, butanol, methyl acetate, methyl acrylate, diphenyl ether, ethyl acrylate, isopropyl acetate, ethyl propionate, hexane, benzene, diisopropyl ether, n,n-dimethyl aniline, dibutyl ether, tetralin, butyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl alcohol, isophorone, ditolyl ether, dimethyl phthalate, 3,3 trimethyl-cyclohexanone, biphenyl, o-dichlorobenzene, and a mixture thereof.

22. The process of claim 1 , wherein the at least one extraction agent comprises diisobutyl ketone.

23. The process of claim 1 , wherein the relativity volatility of the at least one extraction agent to acrylate product is less than 1.

24. The process of claim 1 , wherein the mass ratio of acrylate product to alkylenating agent in the extract stream is greater than 5:1.

25. The process of claim 1 , further comprising the step of separating at least a portion of the raffinate stream to form an alkylenating agent stream and a first solvent stream comprising at least a portion of the at least one extraction agent.

26. The process of claim 25 , wherein step (b) is conducted in an extraction unit and wherein the first solvent stream is recycled to the extraction unit.

27. The process of claim 1 , further comprising the step of separating the extract stream to form a purified acrylic acid stream and a second solvent stream, comprising at least a portion of the at least one extraction agent.

28. The process of claim 27 , wherein step (b) is conducted in an extraction unit and wherein the second solvent stream is recycled to the extraction unit.

Assignees

• Peterson Craig J
• Warner R Jay
• Chapman Josefina T
• Celanese Int Corp

Inventors

• Peterson Craig J
• Warner R Jay
• Chapman Josefina T

Classifications

• C07C51/42 Primary

  Separation; Purification; Stabilisation; Use of additives · CPC title