7972results about "Carboxylic compound separation/purification" patented technology

A low energy process for producing acetic acid by the carbonylation of methanol is disclosed. The process involves a rhodium-catalyzed system operated at less than about 14% water utilizing up to 2 distillation columns. The process is preferably controlled such that the product stream has a low level of propionic acid impurity and the level of aldehyde impurities is minimized by way of aldehyde removal or minimizing aldehyde generation. The level of iodides is controlled by contacting the product, at elevated temperatures, with ion exchange resins. In preferred embodiments, at least one silver or mercury exchanged macroreticular strong acid ion exchange resin is used to purify the product. The high temperature treatment provides the added benefit of controlling the Color Value (Pt-Co units) of the product stream.

The invention relates to a process for the production of acetic acid by carbonylation of methanol, and reactive derivatives thereof, in a reaction mixture using a rhodium-based catalyst in low water conditions. The process is used to achieve reaction rates of at least 15 g mol / l / hr. The high rate reactions proceed at water concentrations of less than 2.0 wt. %. Under certain conditions, the water concentration in the reaction mixture of the process is maintained at a desired concentration by at least one process step including adding a compound such as methyl acetate, dimethyl ether, acetic anhydride, or mixtures of these compounds to the reaction system. The process step of adding the components to the reaction mixture may be combined with other process steps for controlling water concentrations in reaction mixtures for the carbonylation of methanol.

An improved process is disclosed for producing acetic acid, including the following steps: reacting a carbonylatable reactant such as methanol, methyl acetate, methyl formate or dimethyl ether with carbon monoxide in a reaction medium containing water, methyl iodide, and a catalyst to produce a reaction product that contains acetic acid; separating the reaction product to provide a volatile phase containing acetic acid, water, and methyl iodide and a less volatile phase; distilling the volatile phase to produce a purified acetic acid product and a first overhead containing water, methyl acetate, and methyl iodide; phase separating the first overhead to provide a first liquid phase containing water and a second liquid phase containing methyl iodide; and adding dimethyl ether to the process in an amount effective to enhance separation of the first overhead to form the first and second liquid phases.

A method is disclosed for the recovery of an organic acid from a dilute salt solution in which the cation of the salt forms an insoluble carbonate salt. An amine and CO2 are introduced to the solution to form the insoluble carbonate salt and a complex between the acid and the amine. The acid / amine complex is thermally dissociated, or “cracked”, in the presence of a water immiscible solvent in which the amine is selectively soluble and in which the acid is not appreciably soluble. The organic acid may then be recovered from the water by any suitable means such as distillation, reactive distillation, extraction, or reactive extraction.

The invention relates to a process for the manufacture of diesel range hydrocarbons wherein a feed is hydrotreated in a hydrotreating step and isomerised in an isomerisation step, and a feed comprising fresh feed containing more than 5 wt % of free fatty acids and at least one diluting agent is hydrotreated at a reaction temperature of 200-400° C., in a hydrotreating reactor in the presence of catalyst, and the ratio of the diluting agent / fresh feed is 5-30:1.

Methods and compositions are disclosed for the direct transesterification and extraction of bio-lipids and bio-oils in the production of biofuel, particularly fatty acid methyl ester products.

An improvement of the methanol carbonylation process for manufacturing acetic acid is disclosed. Specifically disclosed is a method for reducing the formation of alkyl iodides and C3-8 carboxylic acids by removing permanganate reducing compounds (“PRC's”) from the light phase of the condensed light ends overhead stream, including (a) distilling the light phase to yield a PRC enriched overhead stream; and (b) extracting the third overhead stream with water in at least two consecutive stages and separating therefrom one or more aqueous streams containing PRC's.

A method and apparatus for synthesizing ethanol using synthetic routes via synthesis gas are disclosed. A method and apparatus for gasifying biomass, such as biomass, in a steam gasifier that employs a fluidized bed and heating using hot flue gases from the combustion of synthesis gas is described. Methods and apparatus for converting synthesis gas into ethanol are also disclosed, using stepwise catalytic reactions to convert the carbon monoxide and hydrogen into ethanol using catalysts including iridium acetate.

Disclosed is a process that relates to the recovery of a metal catalyst from an oxidizer purge stream produced in the synthesis of carboxylic acid, typically terephthalic acid. The process involves the addition of a wash solution to a high temperature molten dispersion to recover the metal catalyst and then subjecting an aqueous mixture or purified aqueous mixture so formed to a single stage extraction to remove organic impurities to produce an extract stream and a raffinate stream comprising the metal catalyst.

Disclosed is a process to produce a purified carboxylic acid product. The process comprises removing impurities from a crude carboxylic acid slurry in a solid-liquid displacement zone to form a slurry product. The slurry product if further treated in a staged oxidation zone and a crystallization zone to from a crystallized product. The crystallized product is further cooled in a cooling zone and subsequently filtered and dried in a filtration and drying zone. The process produces purified carboxylic acid product having good color and low impurity levels without the use of purification steps like hydrogenation.

A pharmaceutical composition comprising a co-crystal of an API and a co-crystal former; wherein the API has at least one functional group selected from ether, thioether, alcohol, thiol, aldehyde, ketone, thioketone, nitrate ester, phosphate ester, thiophosphate ester, ester, thioester, sulfate ester, carboxylic acid, phosphonic acid, phosphinic acid, sulfonic acid, amide, primary amine, secondary amine, ammonia, tertiary amine, sp2 amine, thiocyanate, cyanamide, oxime, nitrile diazo, organohalide, nitro, s-heterocyclic ring, thiophene, n-heterocyclic ring, pyrrole, o-heterocyclic ring, furan, epoxide, peroxide, hydroxamic acid, imidazole, pyridine and the co-crystal former has at least one functional group selected from amine, amide, pyridine, imidazole, indole, pyrrolidine, carbonyl, carboxyl, hydroxyl, phenol, sulfone, sulfonyl, mercapto and methyl thio, such that the API and co-crystal former are capable of co-crystallizing from a solution phase under crystallization conditions.

A hydrocarbyldithiomethyl-modified compound of the Formula:R1—O—CH2—S—S—R2or a salt thereof wherein R1 is an organic molecule and R2 is a hydrocarbyl is useful for protecting and / or blocking hydroxyl groups in organic molecules such as nucleotides. The hydrocarbyldithiomethyl-modified compounds can also be used for chemically synthesizing oligonucleotides and for sequencing nucleic acid compounds.

Oil produced from the seed of Brassica napus plant has an oleic acid content of 71.4-77.4% and a linoleic acid content of no more than 3%. The oil is useful in food and industrial applications. The oil has substantially improved oxidative stability relative to normal rapeseed oil, when both are identically treated with antioxidant.

Integrated processes of preparing industrial chemicals starting from seed oil feedstock compositions containing one or more unsaturated fatty acids or unsaturated fatty acid esters, which are essentially free of metathesis catalyst poisons, particularly hydroperoxides; metathesis of the feedstock composition with a lower olefin, such as ethylene, to form a reduced chain olefin, preferably, a reduced chain α-olefin, and a reduced chain unsaturated acid or ester, preferably, a reduced chain α,Ω-unsaturated acid or ester. The reduced chain unsaturated acid or ester may be (trans)esterified to form a polyester polyolefin, which may be epoxidized to form a polyester polyepoxide. The reduced chain unsaturated acid or ester may be hydroformylated with reduction to produce an α,Ω-hydroxy acid or α,Ω-hydroxy ester, which may be (trans)esterified with a polyol to form an α,Ωpolyester polyol. Alternatively, the reduced chain unsaturated acid or ester may be hydroformylated with reductive amination to produce an α,Ω-amino acid or α,Ω-amino ester, which may be (trans)esterified to form an α,Ωpolyester polyamine.

A methanol carbonylation system 10 includes an absorber tower 75 adapted for receiving a vent gas stream and removing methyl iodide therefrom with a scrubber solvent, the absorber tower being coupled to first and second scrubber solvent sources 16, 56 which are capable of supplying different first and second scrubber solvents. A switching system including valves 90, 92, 94, 96, 98 alternatively provides first or second scrubber solvents to the absorber tower and returns the used solvent and sorbed material to the carbonylation system to accommodate different operating modes.

Pure DHA and pure EPA can be obtained from a mixture of EPA and DHA in a solution by forming salts of DHA and EPA which have different solubilities in the solvent, cooling the solution until the salt of EPA is formed, filtering the solution to recover the salt of EPA, and acidifying the EPA salt and the DHA salt to obtain pure EPA and pure DHA.

The present invention relates to methods of synthesizing long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially eicosapentaenoic acid, docosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, in recombinant cells such as yeast or plant cells. Also provided are recombinant cells or plants which produce long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a group of new enzymes which possess desaturase or elongase activity that can be used in methods of synthesizing long-chain poly unsaturated fatty acids.

A method and apparatus for purifying crude terephthalic acid from a liquid dispersion thereof also containing impurities selected from unreacted starting materials, solvents, products of side reactions and / or other undesired materials is provided. The method comprises the steps of filtering the dispersion to form a crude terephthalic acid filter cake, dissolving the filter cake in a selective crystallization solvent at an elevated temperature to form a solution, crystallizing purified terephthalic acid from the solution in the crystallization solvent by reducing the pressure and temperature of the solution, and separating the crystallized purified terephthalic acid from the solution. According to the invention, the selective crystallization solvent is non-aqueous, non-corrosive and essentially non-reactive with terephthalic acid. Preferably, the selective crystallization solvent is N-methyl pyrrolidone. The method and apparatus produces purified terephthalic acid having a purity desired for use in forming polyester resin and other products at an economically attractive rate and at operating conditions of reduced severity which require a lower capital investment and simplified processing.

A process for producing alkyl esters useful in biofuels and lubricants by transesterifying glyceride- or esterifying free fatty acid-containing substances in a single critical phase medium is disclosed. The critical phase medium provides increased reaction rates, decreases the loss of catalyst or catalyst activity and improves the overall yield of desired product. The process involves the steps of dissolving an input glyceride- or free fatty acid-containing substance with an alcohol or water into a critical fluid medium; reacting the glyceride- or free fatty acid-containing substance with the alcohol or water input over either a solid or liquid acidic or basic catalyst and sequentially separating the products from each other and from the critical fluid medium, which critical fluid medium can then be recycled back in the process. The process significantly reduces the cost of producing additives or alternatives to automotive fuels and lubricants utilizing inexpensive glyceride- or free fatty acid-containing substances, such as animal fats, vegetable oils, rendered fats, and restaurant grease.

The present invention relates to extraction process of total tanshin phenolic acid, the preparation process and application of its preparation. The total tanshin phenolic acid and its preparation mayuse in preparing medicine for preventing and treating cardiac and cerebral vascular diseases, senile dementia and hypomnesia caused by cerebral ischemia. The total tanshin phonelic acid prepared based on the process of the present invention has rich active components of tanshin and obvious pharmacological effect, stable performance and les stoxicity and is safety and reliable.

Disclosed is a process to produce a purified carboxylic acid slurry. The process comprises removing impurities from a crystallized product in a solid liquid displacement zone to form the purified carboxylic acid slurry. The process produces purified carboxylic acid slurry having good color and low impurity levels without the use of purification steps like hydrogenation or an impurity removal process.

A pharmaceutical composition comprising a co-crystal of an API and a co-crystal former; wherein the API has at least one functional group selected from ether, thioether, alcohol, thiol, aldehyde, ketone, thioketone, nitrate ester, phosphate ester, thiophosphate ester, ester, thioester, sulfate ester, carboxylic acid, phosphonic acid, phosphinic acid, sulfonic acid, amide, primary amine, secondary amine, ammonia, tertiary amine, sp2 amine, thiocyanate, cyanamide, oxime, nitrile diazo, organohalide, nitro, s-heterocyclic ring, thiophene, n-heterocyclic ring, pyrrole, o-heterocyclic ring, furan, epoxide, peroxide, hydroxamic acid, imidazole, pyridine and the co-crystal former has at least one functional group selected from amine, amide, pyridine, imidazole, indole, pyrrolidine, carbonyl, carboxyl, hydroxyl, phenol, sulfone, sulfonyl, mercapto and methyl thio, such that the API and co-crystal former are capable of co-crystallizing from a solution phase under crystallization conditions.

Disclosed is a process to produce a purified carboxylic acid product. The process comprises removing impurities from a crude carboxylic acid slurry in a solid-liquid displacement zone to form a slurry product. The slurry product if further treated in a staged oxidation zone and a crystallization zone to from a crystallized product. The crystallized product is further cooled in a cooling zone and subsequently filtered and dried in a filtration and drying zone. The process produces purified carboxylic acid product having good color and low impurity levels without the use of purification steps like hydrogenation.

An integrated process is described for producing biodiesel from oleaginous seeds, preferably castor bean seeds. The inventive process includes a transesterification reaction where the seeds themselves react with anhydrous ethyl alcohol in the presence of an alkaline catalyst. The resulting ethyl esters are then separated by decantation and neutralized and used as fuel for diesel engines, co-solvents for diesel and gasoline mixtures with anhydrous or hydrated ethyl alcohol. The solid fractions may be used as fertilizers, for feeding cattle and as a raw material for producing ethyl alcohol.

An emulsion comprising a continuous liquid phase, an emulsifier, and a discontinuous liquid phase comprising a blend including a polyunsaturated fatty acid source and a dispersing agent. The polyunsaturated fatty acid source comprises at least one polyunsaturated fatty acid and the weight ratio of the fatty acid source to the dispersing agent in the blend ranges from about between 9:1 and 1:10. A method for making an emulsion. The stability of the emulsion can be protected by antioxidants such as tea polyphenols.