Patent ID: 8629305

Claim:
A process for recovering dichlorohydrin(s) from a mixture comprising dichlorohydrin(s), one or more compounds selected from ester(s) of chlorohydrin(s), monochlorohydrin(s), and multihydroxylated-aliphatic hydrocarbon compound(s) and/or ester(s) thereof; water; and optionally one or more substances comprising chlorinating agent(s), catalyst(s), ester(s) of catalyst(s), and/or heavy byproduct(s), wherein the process comprises: (a) providing a liquid phase mixture obtained from a hydrochlorination reaction comprising dichlorohydrin(s), one or more compounds selected from ester(s) of chlorohydrin(s), monochlorohydrin(s), and multihydroxylated-aliphatic hydrocarbon compound(s) and/or ester(s) thereof; water, wherein the water present in the mixture is water produced in the hydrochlorination reaction, water present in the starting materials for the hydrochlorination reaction, or water introduced as a stripping agent; an optionally one or more substances comprising chlorinating agent(s), catalyst(s), ester(s) of catalyst(s), and/or heavy byproduct(s); (b) distilling or fractionating the mixture of step (a) in one or more unit operations to separate a vapor phase comprising dichlorohydrin(s), water and other lower boiling components, from the mixture of step (a); (c) condensing the vapor phase fraction of step (b) to form a liquid aqueous phase and a liquid organic phase comprising dichlorohydrin(s); (d) separating the liquid aqueous phase of step (c) from the liquid organic phase of step (c); and (e) recycling at least some of the liquid aqueous phase of step (d) to step (b), (i) wherein step (b) comprises vaporizing an azeotropic mixture of dichlorohydrin(s) and water from the mixture of step (a); and (ii) wherein at least one multi-hydroxylated aliphatic hydrocarbon compound and/or ester thereof is introduced into condensing step (c); and (iii) wherein the mixture provided in step (a) further comprises heavy byproducts; and wherein the amount of heavy byproducts in the distillation residue of step (b) does not exceed 110 percent of the amount of heavy byproducts in the mixture provided in step (a).