Process for purifying carbon dioxide-containing gas streams

• Main Authors: DE POITIERS, KEITH, HENNIGAN, SEAN ANTHONY
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 20.02.2002
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: ACYCLIC OR CARBOCYCLIC COMPOUNDS; APPARATUS THEREFOR; CAPTURE, STORAGE, SEQUESTRATION OR DISPOSAL OF GREENHOUSEGASES [GHG]; CHEMISTRY; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; GENERAL METHODS OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; INORGANIC CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY; NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; 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; TRANSPORTING

A process for removing at least one compound selected from acetic acid, acetate esters and aldehydes from a gaseous fraction comprising carbon dioxide and such compounds. The process comprises the steps of (a) scrubbing in a scrubber (3) at least part of the gaseous fraction to remove the acetic acid, acetate esters and/or aldehydes and (b) removing carbon dioxide from the scrubbed product (15) of step (a) by absorption in aqueous potassium carbonate (4) and wherein in step (a) the gaseous fraction is scrubbed with water and acetic acid. The process may be used to remove acetate esters such as vinyl acetate and ethyl acetate and aldehydes such as acetaldehyde. The process may be used in (i) the manufacture of vinyl acetate by the reaction of ethylene, acetic acid and an oxygen-containing gas in the presence of a catalyst or (ii) in the catalytic oxidation of (a) ethane and/or (b) ethylene to produce respectively (a) acetic acid and/or ethylene and (b) acetic acid.