The invention relates to a method for recovering dilute
acetic acid by combining extraction and azeotropic rectification. The method first carries out liquid-liquid extraction on part of the
acetic acid-water component to be separated, the extractant is injected into the bottom of the extraction
tower, and is extracted by countercurrent contact with dilute
acetic acid to obtain the top component (extract phase) comprising acetic acid and the extractant and meet
environmental protection requirements. The waste water (
raffinate phase) is discharged; then, the extract phase and another part of dilute acetic acid enter the azeotropic rectification
tower to carry out azeotropic rectification.
Azeotrope of boiling agent and water. The azeotropic agent and water achieve liquid-liquid separation in the phase separator, the organic phase returns to the azeotropic rectification
tower as an azeotropic agent and returns to the extraction tower for use as an extraction agent, and the water phase enters the azeotropic agent
recovery tower or is discharged. The extractant and entrainer used in the present invention are the mixture of
alkyl acetate and corresponding
alcohol. The extraction technology reduces the
water content entering the
azeotropic distillation, thereby reducing the amount of the entrainer and saving the heating steam flow of the
azeotropic distillation column, so as to reduce the amount of the
azeotrope and the
energy consumption of the device.