Patent ID: 9138678
Filing Date: 2015-09-22
Classification: B01D,C07C

Abstract:
1. A process for recovering an organic solvent from a solvent and water mixture, comprising; (a) subjecting at least a first portion of the mixture to a first distillation step, carried out by passing a first feed stream of the mixture, at a first pressure, into a first distillation column having a first reboiler system which includes a heat exchanger, to produce a solvent-enriched, first overhead vapor stream and a first bottoms stream, wherein the first bottoms stream is enriched in water compared with the first feed stream; (b) compressing at least a portion of the first overhead vapor stream to form a compressed overhead vapor stream; (c) recovering heat by passing at least a portion of the compressed overhead vapor stream through the first reboiler system as a heating stream; (d) condensing at least a portion of the compressed overhead vapor stream to form a condensed overhead stream; (e) pumping at least a portion of the condensed overhead stream to a second distillation step, carried out under a second pressure that is higher than the first pressure in a second distillation column having a second reboiler system, to produce a solvent-enriched, second overhead vapor stream and a second bottoms stream, wherein the second bottoms stream is enriched in water compared with the condensed overhead stream; and (f) performing a membrane separation step, comprising: