Reactive Absorber Baffles for Alkylene Glycol Selectivity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing processes for producing alkylene glycol from alkenes are inefficient, with incomplete conversion of alkylene oxide to alkylene carbonate, leading to reduced selectivity and increased energy consumption.
Innovation Solution
A process involving a reactive absorber with vertically stacked trays and a sump equipped with baffles, where a gas composition comprising alkylene oxide, alkene, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water vapor is intimately contacted with a lean absorbent in the presence of catalysts promoting carboxylation and hydrolysis, enhancing the conversion of alkylene oxide to alkylene carbonate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If ethylene oxide is reacted with water in a non-catalytic process, then the process is simple, but the selectivity to monoethylene glycol is reduced and energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces catalytic reactions to change the chemical parameters of the process, specifically using catalysts that promote carboxylation and hydrolysis reactions. This transforms the non-catalytic hydration process into a catalytic reactive absorption process, improving selectivity to monoethylene glycol while maintaining process efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses catalysts as intermediaries to facilitate the conversion of ethylene oxide to ethylene carbonate and subsequently to monoethylene glycol. These catalysts act as mediators that enable selective reactions, improving product selectivity without requiring complex multi-step processes
2Manufacturing precision
If ethylene oxide is catalytically reacted with carbon dioxide to produce ethylene carbonate, then the selectivity to monoethylene glycol is improved, but the equipment complexity and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the absorption of ethylene oxide with the catalytic carboxylation and hydrolysis reactions into a single reactive absorption column. This combines multiple unit operations (absorption, reaction, separation) into one integrated system, reducing equipment complexity while maintaining high selectivity to monoethylene glycol
Solution Approach 2:
The reactive absorption column serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as an absorber for ethylene oxide, a reactor for catalytic carboxylation and hydrolysis, and a separation unit. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate equipment units required while achieving high selectivity
3Productivity
If multiple absorption and reaction steps are used to convert ethylene oxide to monoethylene glycol, then the conversion efficiency is improved, but the energy consumption and equipment requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention combines absorption and reaction steps into a single reactive absorption process occurring within the column. By integrating these operations that were previously separate units, the process achieves high conversion efficiency while reducing the energy required for multiple heating, cooling, and pumping operations between separate equipment units
Solution Approach 2:
The reactive absorption process enables continuous conversion of ethylene oxide to monoethylene glycol within the column as the gas stream passes through. This continuous action eliminates the need for intermittent batch processing and multiple separation steps, maintaining high productivity while reducing overall energy consumption
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 achieves a more complete conversion of alkylene oxide to alkylene carbonate, improving the selectivity of the process to monoethylene glycol and reducing energy consumption and equipment requirements.
Implementation Method 1
allowing the gas composition to pass upwards through the absorption section; intimately contacting the gas composition with lean absorbent on the trays
Implementation Method 2
in the presence of one or more catalysts that promote carboxylation and hydrolysis; enhancing the conversion of alkylene oxide to alkylene carbonate
Implementation Method 3
in the presence of one or more catalysts that promote carboxylation and hydrolysis; improving the selectivity of the process to monoethylene glycol
Data Source
AI summary
A process for the preparation of an alkylene glycol from an alkene comprising steps of: a) supplying a gas composition to an alkylene oxide absorber through a gas inlet, the absorber comprising an absorption section and a sump, and allowing the gas composition to pass upwards; b) supplying a lean absorbent to the top of the absorption section and allowing the lean absorbent to pass downwards; c) intimately contacting the gas composition with lean absorbent in the absorption section in the presence of one or more catalysts that promote carboxylation and hydrolysis; and d) withdrawing fat absorbent from the absorption section and passing the fat absorbent and any liquid condensate through the sump, wherein the sump comprises one or more baffles that define a flow pathway from a sump inlet to a sump outlet between the one or more baffles.