Ester production, especially butyl acetate in good purity

• Main Authors: BESLING, BERND, 67269 GRUENSTADT, DE, WELKER, RUEDIGER., 67125 DANNSTADT-SCHAUERNHEIM, DE, DISTELDORF, WALTER., 67157 WACHENHEIM, DE, LOHE, BERND., 69115 HEIDELBERG, DE, KNAB, JEAN WERNER, 67117 LIMBURGERHOF, DE
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; German
• Published: 07.01.1999
• Edition: 6
• Subjects: ACYCLIC OR CARBOCYCLIC COMPOUNDS; APPARATUS THEREFOR; CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOIDCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION ORPROCESSING OF GOODS; GENERAL METHODS OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; METALLURGY; ORGANIC CHEMISTRY; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; SEPARATION; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINSTCLIMATE CHANGE; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS; TRANSPORTING

Production of an ester (I) from alcohol (II) and carboxylic acid (III) involves (a) passing a mixture containing (II) and/or (III) into a distillation column with separate zones for reactive inserts (A) below, and conventional inserts (B) above, the inlet; (b) reacting (II) with (III) on the reactive inserts in the presence of a catalyst; (c) separating the reaction mixture into higher-boiling (I) in the reboiler and lower-boiling azeotrope of (II), water and (I) at the top; and (d) phase separation of the azeotrope into an organic phase, which is recycled, and an aqueous phase. Specifically, (i) a heterogeneous catalyst is used in stage (b); and (ii) (I) is discharged as pure product above the reboiler inlet and between other conventional inserts (C), which are different from inserts (B). Also claimed is the plant used in the process.