Abstract:
A method of recovering an alcohol from an aqueous stream comprising: providing an aqueous stream comprising an alcohol; extracting at least a portion of the alcohol from the aqueous stream with a solvent to form an extracted solvent stream; extracting at least a portion of the solvent from the extracted solvent stream to form an extracted aqueous stream; and recovering at least a portion of the alcohol from the extracted aqueous stream.
Abstract:
The invention provides a process for the continuous production of one or more glycols from a saccharide-containing feedstock, said process comprising the steps of: i) contacting the saccharide-containing feedstock with hydrogen in the presence of one or more catalysts in a reactor at a reaction temperature and a reaction pressure in a continuous manner, to provide a reaction effluent stream comprising hydrogen and one or more glycols; ii) separating hydrogen from the reaction effluent stream, without substantial de-pressurisation of said reaction effluent stream to provide a separated hydrogen stream and a liquid effluent stream; and iii) providing at least a portion of the separated hydrogen stream as a hydrogen recycle stream to the reactor for re-use in step i).
Abstract:
The invention provides a process for the preparation of ethylene glycol and 1, 2-propylene glycol from starting material comprising one or more saccharides, wherein the process comprises the steps of i) providing the starting material and hydrogen to a first reactor, which first reactor operates with mixing; ii) reacting said starting material and hydrogen in the first reactor in the presence of solvent and a catalyst system; iii) continuously removing a first reactor product stream from the first reactor; iv) supplying at least a portion of the first reactor product stream to a second reactor, which reactor operates essentially in a plug flow manner; and v) further reacting the first reactor product stream with hydrogen in the presence of a solvent and optionally a catalyst system in the second reactor.