Patent · US Active

Process for purifying ethanol

US8680343B2 · kind B2 · utility

0Cited by
183References
12Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 3, 2011
Grant dateMar 25, 2014
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 22, 2032

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
  • CPC primaryC07C29/80
  • WIPO fieldOrganic fine chemistry
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

In one embodiment, the invention is to a process for producing ethanol. The process comprises the step of hydrogenating an acetic acid feed stream in a first reactor to form a crude ethanol product. The crude ethanol product may comprise, among other components, ethanol, acetaldehyde, and residual acetic acid. The process further comprises the step of recovering acetaldehyde from the crude ethanol product. The process further comprises the steps of feeding a first portion of the recovered acetaldehyde to the first reactor and reacting the first portion of the recovered acetaldehyde in the first reactor to form additional ethanol. In addition, the inventive process may comprise the steps of feeding a second portion of the recovered acetaldehyde to a second reactor and reacting the second portion of the recovered acetaldehyde in the second reactor to form an additional product.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.