초록 ▼

Process and apparatus for extracting an organic liquid from an organic liquid solute/solvent mixture. The mixture is contacted with a fluid extractant which is at a temperature and pressure to render the extractant a solvent for the solute but not for the solvent. The resulting fluid extract of the

Process and apparatus for extracting an organic liquid from an organic liquid solute/solvent mixture. The mixture is contacted with a fluid extractant which is at a temperature and pressure to render the extractant a solvent for the solute but not for the solvent. The resulting fluid extract of the solute is then depressurized to give a still feed which is distilled to form still overhead vapors and liquid still bottoms. The enthalpy required to effect this distillation is provided by compressing the still overhead vapors to heat them and indirectly to heat the still feed. The process is particularly suitable for separating mixtures which form azeotropes, e.g., oxygenated hydrocarbon/water mixtures. The energy required in this process is much less than that required to separate such mixtures by conventional distillation techniques.

대표청구항 ▼

An apparatus for separating an organic liquid from an organic liquid/solvent mixture, comprising in combination (a) pressure vessel means for effecting contact between a mixture of an organic liquid solute and a solvent for said solute and a pressurized extractant fluid which is a solvent for said o

An apparatus for separating an organic liquid from an organic liquid/solvent mixture, comprising in combination (a) pressure vessel means for effecting contact between a mixture of an organic liquid solute and a solvent for said solute and a pressurized extractant fluid which is a solvent for said organic liquid solute but substantially less for said solvent to produce a fluid extract of said organic liquid in said extractant fluid and a raffinate comprising said solvent with minor amounts of said extractant fluid and said organic liquid solute, said extractant fluid being a gas at ordinary ambient conditions of temperature and pressure; (b) distillation vessel means capable of separating a still feed into an overhead vapor and liquid bottoms and having associated therewith reboiler means including heat exchange means for circulating a heat transfer fluid therethrough in indirect heat exchange relationship with said liquid bottoms; (c) first pressure line means arranged for conveying said fluid extract as a still feed from said pressure vessel means to said distillation vessel means; (d) vapor compressor means; (e) second pressure line means incorporating said vapor compressor means and arranged for conveying said overhead vapor to said vapor compressor means and recompressed vapor therefrom to said heat exchange means; (f) still bottom pressure reducing means; (g) product separator means; (h) third pressure line means incorporating said still bottom pressure reducing means and arranged for conveying said still bottoms from said reboiler means to said still bottom pressure reducing means and decompressed still bottoms therefrom to said product separator means; (i) means for recovering said still bottoms from said product separator means as product organic liquid solute; (j) raffinate separating means for providing a raffinate vapor flash; (k) vapor flash collection means; and (l) means disposed for conveying said raffinate vapor flash and solvent vapor flash from said means for recovering said still bottom means for recirculation as said solvent.