Dividing Wall Distillation for Ultra-Pure Glycol Ester Production
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for producing glycol esters, such as 2-butoxyethyl benzoate, face challenges in achieving high purity while minimizing capital and energy costs, and struggle to effectively remove odor-causing impurities like butanal, which are formed during distillation, leading to suboptimal product quality and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
The process involves contacting benzoic acid and 2-butoxyethanol under reaction conditions to produce a crude product, which is then processed in a distillation column with a dividing wall or pasteurizing section to separate and remove impurities, specifically targeting the removal of butanal and other low-boiling components, allowing for the production of ultra-pure 2-butoxyethyl benzoate with controlled impurity levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional distillation methods are used to produce glycol esters, then the production process is simple, but the product purity is insufficient and odor-causing impurities like butanal cannot be effectively removed
Solution Approach 1:
The distillation column is segmented into multiple functional sections including a pasteurizing section with multiple trays at the top, a dividing wall in the middle section, and a bottom section. This segmentation allows different sections to perform different functions: the pasteurizing section removes light impurities, the dividing wall separates overhead and side draw streams, and the bottom section handles heavy impurities, thereby achieving high product purity through structured functional division
Solution Approach 2:
The dividing wall acts as an intermediary structure that separates the distillation column into two independent zones. It includes an overhead stream outlet on one side and a side draw stream outlet on the other side, allowing selective removal of different impurity fractions without requiring multiple separate distillation columns, thus maintaining device complexity at acceptable levels while achieving superior separation
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple distillation columns are used to achieve high purity, then the product quality improves, but capital costs and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple distillation functions are merged into a single integrated distillation column. The column combines the pasteurizing section for light impurity removal, the dividing wall for stream separation, and the bottom section for heavy impurity removal, effectively replacing what would traditionally require multiple separate distillation columns. This integration reduces energy consumption by eliminating redundant heating and cooling cycles while maintaining high product purity
Solution Approach 2:
The single distillation column is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a pasteurizing column for light impurity removal, a dividing wall column for separating different impurity fractions, and a stripping column for heavy impurity removal. This multi-functionality allows the system to achieve the separation performance of multiple columns while using only one column, thereby reducing overall energy consumption and capital costs
3Manufacturing precision
If conventional distillation is used, then capital costs are lower, but the ability to control impurity levels specifically is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
Different sections of the distillation column are designed with locally optimized structures to address specific impurity control needs. The pasteurizing section at the top has multiple trays specifically configured for light impurity removal, the dividing wall in the middle is positioned and designed to optimize separation of overhead and side draw streams, and the bottom section is configured for heavy impurity stripping. This local optimization allows precise control over different impurity fractions without requiring complex external systems
Solution Approach 2:
The pasteurizing section performs preliminary removal of light impurities and odor-causing compounds like butanal before the main separation process. By pre-treating the vapor stream in this dedicated section, the subsequent dividing wall and bottom section can focus on their specific separation tasks, achieving comprehensive impurity control through a staged, preliminary action approach
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 results in the production of ultra-pure 2-butoxyethyl benzoate with significantly reduced butanal content, achieving high purity and stability, while also reducing energy consumption and capital costs compared to conventional distillation methods.
Implementation Method 1
feeding at least a portion of the crude product to a distillation column comprising a dividing wall or a pasteurizing section; removing an overhead stream and a bottoms stream from the distillation column, and removing a side draw stream from the distillation column
Data Source
AI summary
A process for the production of 2-butoxyethyl benzoate from benzoic acid and 2-butoxy ethanol wherein at least a portion of the crude reaction product is fed to a distillation column comprising a dividing wall or a pasteurizing section.