Acrylic Ester Production via Segmented Distillation and Resin Catalysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
The production of acrylic esters using aliphatic or alicyclic alcohols with 5 to 8 carbon atoms and acrylic acid containing high-boiling acid components like maleic acid and β-acryloxypropionic acid faces challenges in maintaining product quality and reducing raw material consumption, leading to costly operations and inefficient separation of high-boiling impurities.
Innovation Solution
A process involving the use of a strongly acidic cation exchange resin as a catalyst, where the reaction product is processed through a low-boiling separation column, followed by a rectifying column and optionally a high-boiling separation column or thin-film evaporator, with the distillate from the high-boiling separation column being mixed with water to extract and remove high-boiling acid components, allowing for the recovery of acrylic ester and reduction of waste oil.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If acrylic acid containing high-boiling acid components is used as raw material, then production cost is reduced, but product quality deteriorates and unit consumption of raw materials increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the separation process into two distinct segments: a low-boiling separation column that removes low-boiling components (alcohol, acrylic acid, water) and a high-boiling separation column that removes high-boiling acid components. This segmentation allows each column to be optimized for its specific separation task, enabling the use of lower-purity acrylic acid while maintaining product quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes high-boiling acid components (such as maleic acid and β-acryloxypropionic acid) from the reaction mixture using a high-boiling separation column. By taking out these problematic impurities that cause polymerization and quality deterioration, the process can tolerate higher initial impurity levels in the acrylic acid feedstock.
2Manufacturing precision
If highly purified acrylic acid is used, then product quality is maintained, but production cost increases due to purification requirements
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of requiring highly purified acrylic acid before the reaction, the patent implements post-reaction separation segmented into two columns. This shifts the purification burden from pre-processing to post-processing, allowing cheaper, less purified acrylic acid to be used as feedstock while achieving the required product quality through the dual-separation system.
3Productivity
If inorganic acid catalyst is used, then esterification reaction efficiency is improved, but apparatus cost increases due to corrosion requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive, corrosion-resistant inorganic acid catalysts with a cheaper, non-corrosive strongly acidic cation exchange resin catalyst. While the resin may require periodic replacement, it eliminates the need for expensive anti-corrosion materials in the apparatus, reducing overall equipment costs while maintaining catalytic efficiency.
4Device complexity
If high-boiling acid components are not removed, then separation operation is simplified, but facilities become clogged by polymers and unit consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes high-boiling acid components that are precursors to polymerization. By taking out these components (maleic acid, β-acryloxypropionic acid) through the high-boiling separation column, the process prevents polymer formation that would clog facilities and increase raw material consumption, while keeping the separation operation manageable through targeted removal rather than complete purification.
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 process improves the yield of acrylic ester while maintaining product quality, reduces raw material consumption, and allows for the use of low-purity acrylic acid, thereby enhancing economic efficiency and simplifying storage and purification management.
Implementation Method 1
esterification reaction using a strongly acidic cation exchange resin
Implementation Method 2
low-boiling separation column to separate it into a high-boiling substance composed mainly of a generated acrylic ester and a low-boiling component composed mainly of an unreacted alcohol, acrylic acid, and generated water
Implementation Method 3
supplying a crude acrylic ester to a high-boiling separation column and/or a thin-film evaporator to separate it into an acrylic ester component and a high-boiling substance
Implementation Method 4
mixing all or part of the distillate with water to extract and remove high-boiling acid components
Data Source
AI summary
A process for producing an acrylic ester using acrylic acid and an aliphatic or alicyclic alcohol having from 5 to 8 carbon atoms, as raw materials, and using a strongly acidic cation exchange resin as a catalyst. In such a process for producing an acrylic ester, a crude acrylic ester withdrawn from the bottom of a low-boiling separation column is supplied to a rectifying column, a rectified acrylic ester is taken out from the top of the rectifying column, while a high-boiling substance containing an acrylic ester, which is withdrawn from the bottom of the rectifying column, is supplied to a high-boiling separation column and/or a thin-film evaporator to separate it into an acrylic ester component and a high-boiling substance, and the separated acrylic ester component is taken out as a distillate and supplied to the low-boiling separation column for its recovery.