Patent ID: 6123812
Filing Date: 2000-09-26
Classification: B01D,C07D,Y10S

Abstract:
A process for distilling ethylene oxide out of a mixture comprising ethylene oxide in a column at an absolute pressure of from 2 to 10 bar and a temperature of from 20 to 180.degree. C. by withdrawing pure ethylene oxide in the liquid or gaseous state overhead or via a sidestream in a rectifying section of the column, which comprises feeding the mixture through a plurality of successive zones of structured sheet-metal packing or dumped beds of packing elements, which zones are located inside the column and at least one of which is connected to an extinguishing system containing an extinguishant, and feeding a liquid solvent which is miscible with ethylene oxide from the extinguishing system into the zone(s) from outside the column as soon as the pressure limit in the column is exceeded, wherein said plurality of successive zones acts at least as decomposition barriers.