Polyhydric Alcohol Decolorizing and Deodorizing Distillation Adsorption

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for decolorizing and deodorizing polyhydric alcohols, such as 2,3-butanediol, are limited in efficiency and removal capacity, particularly when using activated carbon treatment alone, as they fail to completely remove impurities and undesirable materials introduced during biological synthesis processes.

Innovation Solution

A method involving a two-step distillation process followed by adsorption treatment, where fractional distillation and stripping treatments are used to remove impurities based on boiling point differences, followed by activated carbon adsorption to achieve a colorless and odorless polyhydric alcohol.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If only activated carbon treatment is used for decolorizing and deodorizing polyhydric alcohol, then the process is simple, but the removal efficiency of materials causing undesirable colors and odors is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocess simplicityVSAvoidremoval efficiency of impurities

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The purification process is divided into multiple sequential stages: distillation treatment first separates impurities based on boiling point differences, followed by adsorption treatment with activated carbon to remove remaining color and odor materials. This segmentation allows each stage to target specific types of impurities, achieving high removal efficiency while maintaining reasonable process complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Distillation treatment is performed as a preliminary step before activated carbon adsorption. This preliminary action removes a significant portion of impurities in advance, reducing the load on the subsequent adsorption stage and enhancing the overall removal efficiency of color and odor materials

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Manufacturing precision

If activated carbon treatment is applied to crude polyhydric alcohol with high impurity content, then comprehensive treatment is achieved, but the load on adsorption treatment is excessive and efficiency is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecomprehensive impurity treatmentVSAvoidadsorption treatment efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The distillation process extracts and removes impurities with different boiling points from the crude polyhydric alcohol before the adsorption stage. This extraction of bulk impurities beforehand prevents the adsorption system from being overloaded, maintaining high adsorption efficiency for remaining trace impurities

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

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 increases the removal efficiency and capacity of undesirable colors and odors, producing a high-purity, colorless, and odorless polyhydric alcohol by reducing the load on adsorption treatment and enhancing the removal of residual impurities.

Implementation Method 1

distillation treatment can be performed before adsorption treatment such as activated carbon treatment. Therefore, as materials with undesirable colors and odors are removed by an evaporation or fractional distillation mechanism

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectEvaporation: Evaporation

Implementation Method 2

The distillation treatment includes fractional distillation treatment and stripping treatment. The materials with undesirable colors and odors can be removed in a bulk unit due to the difference in boiling point through the fractional distillation treatment

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFractional distillation: Distillation

Implementation Method 3

adsorption treatment performed after the distillation treatment, a colorless and odorless polyhydric alcohol from which materials with undesirable colors and odors are substantially and completely removed can be obtained

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAdsorption: Adsorption

Data Source

PatentEP3626700B1Method for decolorizing and deodorizing polyhydric alcohol

Publication Date: 2023.10.25 GS CALTEX CORP

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AI summary

In a method and a system for decolorizing and deodorizing a polyhydric alcohol according to embodiments of the present invention, a mixture liquid containing a first polyhydric alcohol obtained by a separation process is prepared. The mixture liquid is subjected to a distillation treatment to preliminarily remove substances with different colors and odors to generate a pre-treatment liquid. The pre-treatment liquid is subjected to an adsorption treatment. Through a combination of the distillation treatment and the adsorption treatment, the removing efficiency of the substances with different colors and odors can be increased.