Production of anhydrous ethanol
US4372822A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 27, 1981 |
| Grant date | Feb 8, 1983 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 27, 2001 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S203/14
- WIPO fieldChemical engineering
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
Substantially anhydrous, i.e., absolute, ethanol is distilled at high thermal efficiency from a dilute feedstock such as a fermentate ("beer") containing one or more low boiling components whose removal at least in part prior to anhydrous distillation is necessary in order to achieve an acceptable degree of phase separation in a decanter. Most of the low boiling component(s) are removed from the feed in a rectifying column with the balance of the low boiling component(s), insufficient in amount to seriously interfere with proper operation of the decanter, being removed from the system employing a light-ends column. Both the anhydrous column and the light-ends column are operated at substantially superatmospheric pressure with thermal values recovered from these columns being used in the operation of the rectifying column.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.