Patent ID: 6514388
Filing Date: 2003-02-04
Classification: C07C

Abstract:
A process for distillative recovery of monoethylene glycol comprising hydrolyzing ethylene oxide with water to form a hydrolysis product stream and passing the hydrolysis product stream through a system comprising a battery of pressure dewatering columns, each having a feed point for introducing the hydrolysis product stream, and between each of which the hydrolysis product stream passes as an overhead stream, subsequent to the pressure dewatering columns, at least one vacuum dewatering column, and subsequent to the vacuum dewatering column, at least one column for purifying distillation, wherein at least the first pressure dewatering column of the battery has a stripping section with at least one separating stage, and wherein a portion of the overhead stream containing secondary components of at least the first pressure dewatering column having a stripping section is removed from the system, and wherein the stripping section has from 2 to 10 separating stages.