Process for the continuous rectification of alcoholic fermates

US4511437A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Hoechst GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Gunter Heck · Wiesbaden, DE
• Aladar Lienerth · Kelkheim, DE
• Egon Malow · Hochheim, DE
• Karl-Heinz Schwarz · Rincón de la Victoria, ES
• Uwe Faust · Idar-Oberstein, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 4, 1982
• Grant date: Apr 16, 1985
• Expiry date: Nov 4, 2002

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02P70/10
• WIPO field: Chemical engineering
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A process for continuous rectification of a liquid mixture containing alcohols, particularly a liquid fermate, employs a plurality of distillation columns to which the liquid mixture is fed in parallel, and which have successively reduced operating pressures and temperatures from an initial one to a final one thereof. The top vapor distillate from the higher-pressure columns supplies driving heat to the sumps of the next successively lower-pressure columns. Direct steam at 130.degree. C. to 160.degree. C. is fed to the sump of the column operated at the highest pressure. Direct steam is generated by indirect heat exchange of water with the top vapor withdrawn from the columns, and the resulting direct steam is fed to the sumps of the next-lower-pressure columns. The apparatus can also include a section for the production of absolute alcohol.