Solvent-Free Acrylic Acid Recovery via Coupled Distillation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current acrylic acid recovery systems incur high capital and operation costs due to the need for multiple purification towers, expensive inhibitors, and the use of solvents, which also raise environmental concerns.
Innovation Solution
A solvent-free distillation system utilizing coupled distillation columns to recover technical grade acrylic acid, reducing the number of towers required and eliminating the need for solvents, with a process that includes cooling, dehydration, and partial condensation of overhead streams to produce high-purity acrylic acid.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional recovery systems with multiple purification towers and solvents are used, then acrylic acid can be recovered, but capital and operation costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple purification functions (dehydration, distillation, purification) into a single integrated distillation column. The column simultaneously performs water removal, acrylic acid concentration, and impurity separation that traditionally required multiple separate towers, thereby reducing capital costs and operational complexity while maintaining recovery reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The distillation column is designed to perform multiple functions: dehydration, distillation, and purification all within one unit operation. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for separate specialized equipment for each function, reducing both capital investment and operational complexity
2Reliability
If traditional recovery systems with solvents are used, then acrylic acid can be recovered, but environmental concerns increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent completely removes solvents from the recovery process by using direct distillation and dehydration methods. The system achieves acrylic acid recovery without introducing any harmful solvent substances into the environment, eliminating solvent-related pollution while maintaining effective recovery through thermal separation processes
Solution Approach 2:
The process changes the physical parameters (temperature, pressure) to achieve separation without solvents. By carefully controlling distillation and dehydration parameters, the system achieves effective acrylic acid recovery through pure physical separation methods, avoiding the need for chemical solvents that would create environmental hazards
3Manufacturing precision
If traditional recovery systems with multiple towers are used, then acrylic acid purification is achieved, but operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple operational functions (dehydration, distillation, purification) are merged into a single continuous process within one column. This integration simplifies operation by eliminating the need to coordinate multiple separate units, reducing operational complexity while maintaining high purity through the combined effect of all separation mechanisms working simultaneously
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach significantly lowers capital and operational costs while producing high-purity acrylic acid with reduced environmental impact, achieving technical grade quality using only two distillation columns.
Implementation Method 1
cooling the gaseous reaction mixture
Implementation Method 2
dehydration of the cooled gas mixture in a dehydration column
Implementation Method 3
at least partially condensing the dehydration column overhead stream to form a condensate
Implementation Method 4
passing at least a portion of the dehydration column bottoms stream to an upper half of a second column for distillation
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The process for the distillation of a gas mixture comprising (meth)acrylic acid obtained from the gas-phase oxidation of at least one (meth)acrylic acid precursors is improved through the use of coupled distillation columns. In a first column, the gaseous mixture is dehydrated while in a second column, the dehydrated gaseous mixture is distilled into product, overhead and bottoms streams. The process also benefits from the use of one or more inhibitors during the process, the inhibitors being selected from compounds that inhibit the reaction of acrylic acid and being included in an amount sufficient to prevent or reduce the polymerization of acrylic acid.