Process for separating mixtures of substances of low volatility

US4345976A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Siegfried Peter · DE

Inventors

• Siegfried Peter · Erlangen, DE
• Gerd Brunner · Hamburg, DE
• Rolf Riha · Friedelsheim, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 7, 1979
• Grant date: Aug 24, 1982
• Expiry date: Feb 7, 1999

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02P20/54
• WIPO field: Chemical engineering
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

The invention involves a process for substantially separating the components of mixtures of substances at least one of which is of low volatility while the other is of low or no volatility, the process using a compressed gas under supercritical conditions and an entrainer which increases the concentration of said mixture in the gaseous phase as well as the separation factor between the components to be separated. The process operates in two distillation zones the first of which substantially separates the components of low volatility in a process similar to a rectification process while the second distillation zone separates the top product of the first distillation zone from the gas with the aid of the entrainer which is condensed partially and in this state is passed in countercurrent to the gas carrying the separated component of low volatility.