The invention relates to a process for the production of methylbutinol, wherein the
process comprises at least one pervaporation step. The invention also relates to uses
and devices relating to the inventive process.
Background of the Invention
Methylbutinol (2-methyl-3-butin-2-ol; C5H8O; CAS-Nr. 115-19-5) is an important
intermediate in organic synthesis. For example, it is used in the production of isoprene,
vitamins A and E, various pharmaceuticals and aroma compounds. On an industrial
scale, methylbutinol is usually produced by reacting acetone with acetylene. Thereby, a
crude reaction product is obtained, which comprises significant amounts of water and
unreacted acetone. The reaction is carried out in the presence of catalysts and in
specific solvents, such as liquid ammonia, acetals or ethers, which are also components
of the crude reaction product. Further, salts and low-boiling organic by-products may be
present in the crude reaction product.
In order to obtain pure methylbutinol it is necessary to remove water, acetone and
further ingredients from the crude reaction product. However, removal of water is
difficult because the boiling point of water is in the same range as the boiling point of
methylbutinol ( 104 °C). Further, water and methylbutinol form an azeotrope boiling at
about 9 1 °C, consisting of about 70.5 to 72.5% (w/w) methylbutinol and 27.5 to 29.5%
(w/w) water. Thus, water removal by normal distillation is not possible.
Acetone, which may be present in the crude reaction product in amounts of about 0.5 to
10% (w/w), has a boiling point of 56°C and is removable by distillation. However,
important reactions, such as polymerization of isoprene with Ziegler catalysts, are
inhibited by trace amounts of acetone. Therefore, for many applications of methylbutinol
it is necessary to remove acetone from the methylbutinol almost quantitatively, for
example to a level below 0.03% (w/w).
According to prior art, the crude reaction product of the reaction of acetone and
acetylene comprising the desired methylbutinol is usually subjected to azeotropic
distillation in the presence of an entrainer forming an azeotrope with water. The
entrainer/water azeotrope is removed from the reaction mixture by distillation. Lowboiling
acetone is also removed with the distillate while methylbutinol containing low
residual amounts of water and acetone remains at the bottom of the distillation column.
A common entrainer in this prior art process is benzene. Methods for purifying
methylbutinol by distillation in the presence of benzene are disclosed in DE 1 193 496
and GB 1,023,856. Nowadays, the use of benzene is no longer considered acceptable
in industrial processes for health and ecological considerations.
It is another drawback of such processes that a water/entrainer/methylbutinol ternary
azeotrope containing a relatively high concentration of methylbutinol is formed. Thus
either the overall yield is decreased, or additional steps for recovering methylbutinol
from the azeotrope are required.
The introduction of entrainers into the distillation process has further drawbacks.
Generally, entrainers render the overall process more complicated. Entrainers are found
in the product and specific conditions and additional process steps have to be selected
to keep the concentration of the entrainer in the methylbutinol product as low as
possible. Further, the entrainer increases the total amount of the overall feed
composition. Thus, the overall distillation process, which is carried out at about 100 °C,
requires more energy for evaporation and condensation of the components. Further
energy and additional process steps are required for recycling the entrainer, i . e.
separating it from water and methylbutinol. The use of an entrainer thus increases
overall waste, emissions and complexity of the process, especially when carried out as
a continuous process.
Problem underlying the invention
The problem underlying the invention is to provide an improved process for the
purification of methylbutinol, which overcomes the above-mentioned drawbacks. The
process shall be relatively simple, cost- and energy-efficient. Specifically, a process
shall be provided to obtain methylbutinol from a crude reaction product comprising
acetone and water. The obtainable methylbutinol product shall contain very low
amounts of water, acetone and other side-products. The use of environmentally harmful
substances, such as benzene or other aromatic compounds, shall be avoided.
It is a specific problem underlying the invention to provide a process which avoids the
introduction of an entrainer. The process shall be applicable as a continuous process
and in large industrial scale for the purification of large amounts of methylbutinol.
Detailed Description of the Invention
Subject of the invention is a process for the production of methylbutinol, wherein the
process comprises at least one pervaporation step. Preferably, the process comprises
the steps of providing a feed composition comprising methylbutinol and water, removing
a fraction of the feed composition, said fraction having a higher water content than the
feed composition, and subjecting said fraction to pervaporation, thereby reducing its
water content.
In a preferred embodiment, the process comprises the steps of:
(a) providing a feed composition comprising methylbutinol and water,
(b) subjecting the feed composition to distillation in a distillation device,
(c) removing a sidestream from the distillation device, the sidestream having a
higher water content than the feed composition, and
(d) subjecting said sidestream to pervaporation, thereby reducing the water
content of the sidestream.
The inventive method is a method for the production of methylbutinol. As used herein,
the term "production" refers to any process in which a methylbutinol product is obtained
wherein the methylbutinol is enriched, compared to the content in the feed composition.
Thus, the process of the invention is also a process for purifying methylbutinol and/or for
concentrating a composition comprising methylbutinol. Since the inventive method
efficiently separates methylbutinol from water, it is also a process for dewatering
methylbutinol or dewatering a composition comprising methylbutinol. The term
"production" includes, but is not limited to, organic synthesis. The overall inventive
process thus may comprise, but does not necessarily comprise, a step in which
methylbutinol is synthesized by means of organic synthesis.
The feed composition provided in step (a) is a mixture which is fed into the distillation
device of step (b). The mixture comprises the desired product methylbutinol. Further, it
comprises water. In principle, the feed composition may be any composition comprising
substantial amounts of methylbutinol and water. However, the method of the invention is
especially applicable for producing methylbutinol from compositions comprising water
as well as at least one further compound, the boiling point of which is significantly lower
than 100 °C. In a highly preferred embodiment, the feed composition comprises
methylbutinol, water and acetone.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the feed composition is a crude reaction
product of acetone and acetylene, or derived from such a crude reaction product. The
crude reaction product of this reaction usually comprises methylbutinol, water, acetone,
and ammonia. The reaction of acetone with acetylene is carried out in the presence of
catalysts and solvents. Further, it is usually carried out in a basic environment, mediated
by ammonia or carbonates. Thus, the crude reaction product which may be used as the
feed composition in the inventive method, may comprise such solvents, catalysts,
bases, and/or further additives, as well as by-products.
The feed composition provided in step (a) may be derived from such a crude reaction
product. For example, the crude reaction product provided in step (a) of the inventive
process may have been subjected to a preceding purification step or modification step.
In a preceding purification, low or high boiling components may be removed, for
example by evaporation, distillation, or sieving. In a preceding modification step, the
base, such as ammonia or carbonates, may have been neutralized.
In a preferred embodiment, the feed composition is evaporated and fed into the
distillation device in the gaseous state. In this embodiment, the evaporation device
(evaporator) can be controlled such that methylbutinol, water, and low-boiling
substances, such as acetone and ammonia, are evaporated, whereas high-boiling
components, such as salts and resins, remain in the evaporator. This is highly
advantageous, because in the distillation device, methylbutinol remains at the bottom of
the column and thus is not separated from high-boiling components. Preferably, the
evaporator is a film evaporator.
In another embodiment, before step (a) of the inventive process, the crude reaction
product was subjected to prior distillation, in which low-boiling compounds, such as
acetone and/or ammonia, were removed, or at least partially removed.
In preferred embodiments of the invention, the feed composition provided in step (a)
comprises at least 50%, preferably at least 80% or at least 90% (w/w) methylbutinol.
The water content is preferably at least 0.1 %, more preferably at least 0.2%, at least
0.5%, or at least 1% (w/w). The acetone content is preferably at least 0.1 %, more
preferably at least 0.2%, at least 0.5%, or at least 1% (w/w). In the following, all
percentages refer to weight-% (w/w), unless indicated otherwise.
In preferred embodiments of the invention, the feed composition comprises 50 to 99.5%
(w/w) methylbutinol and 0.1 to 25% (w/w) water, more preferably 75 to 99% (w/w)
methylbutinol and 0.2 to 10% (w/w) water, most preferably 80 to 98% (w/w) methylbutinol
and 0.5 to 5% (w/w) water. Preferably, the ammonia content is between 0 and
10%, or between 0.2 and 7.5% (w/w), or between 0.5 and 5% (w/w).
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the feed composition comprises
(i) 50 to 99.5%, preferably 75 to 99% (w/w), methylbutinol,
(ii) 0.1 to 25%, preferably 0.2 to 10% (w/w), water,
(iii) 0.1 to 25%, preferably 0.2 to 10% (w/w), acetone, and
(iv) 0 to 10%, preferably 0.2 to 7.5% (w/w), ammonia.
The distillation is carried out in a distillation device. The distillation device is usually a
distillation column, especially a rectification column. At the head of the column, a
distillate is collected. The distillate is enriched in low-boiling components liquid at room
temperature and having a boiling point below that of water, such as acetone. The
temperature at the head of the column is below the temperature in the lower part of the
column.
Preferably, the head of the column comprises a condenser. Preferably, the temperature
of the condenser is adjusted for obtaining a distillate with a desired composition. For
example, the temperature of the condenser may be between 0 °C and 50 °C, preferably
room temperature (i.e., about 20 °C). The temperature may be controlled by a cooling
water circuit. The temperature at the head of the column should be in the range of the
condensation temperature of the low boiling components. For recovery of acetone, a
temperature around 56 °C, for example between 30 °C and 75°C, especially between
45 °C and 70°C, is preferred. Preferably, ammonia, which has a boiling point
significantly below that of acetone, is not condensed and removed from the top of the
column in gaseous form.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the distillate, in comparison to the feed
composition, is enriched in acetone and/or ammonia. In preferred embodiments, the
distillate comprises more than 50%, more preferably more than 80% (w/w) acetone. If
present in the feed composition, the distillate may comprise ammonia, for example up to
15%, but preferably below 2% or below 1% (w/w) of the distillate. Preferably, most of
the ammonia at the top of the column should not be condensed and not become part of
the distillate. Instead, it should pass the condenser at the head of the column and leave
the column in gaseous form. Preferably, the methylbutinol content of the distillate is low,
for example below 5%, preferably below 2% (w/w). Preferably, the distillate comprises
between 85 and 99% acetone, between 0.5 and 8% water, between 0.2 and 5%
methylbutinol, and below 2% (w/w) ammonia.
It is preferred that a continuous reflux of acetone within the column is provided.
Reflowing acetone supports the condensation of methylbutinol and thereby prevents
methylbutinol from reaching the head of the column. In a preferred embodiment, at least
a portion of the distillate is removed from the column and the process. This is
advantageous in order to reduce the amount of acetone in the overall process.
Gas, which passed the condenser at the head of the column and leaves the column,
usually comprises ammonia. In a preferred embodiment, it passes another external
condenser for removing residual acetone and methylbutinol. The external condenser
may comprise a cooling trap. Preferably, the gas passing the external condenser mostly
comprises ammonia, which may be recovered with appropriate additional devices.
At the bottom of the column, a liquid distillation residue is accumulated. The distillation
residue comprises high-boiling components of the feed composition. Thus the distillation
residue is enriched in methylbutinol, compared to the feed composition. In a preferred
embodiment of the invention, the distillation residue comprises more than 99.5% (w/w)
methylbutinol and less than 0.1 %, preferably less than 0.03% (w/w), water. Preferably,
the temperature at the bottom of the column is slightly above 100 °C, in order to ensure
evaporation of water and low boiling components. For example, the temperature may be
between about 100 and 110 °C, preferably between 102 and 107 °C.
The methylbutinol product can be collected and removed from the bottom of the
distillation column. Optionally, it may be subjected to further subsequent purification
steps. For example, the product may be subjected to another distillation in an additional
distillation device, in which it is depleted further from low-boiling and/or high-boiling
components.
In the inventive process, a water-enriched sidestream is removed from the distillation
device. In other words, the water content of the sidestream is higher than the water
content of the feed composition. Overall, the temperature and conditions in the
distillation device should be controlled, such that low-boiling components, especially
acetone, are condensed in the distillate, whereas a fraction comprising mostly
methylbutinol and water is removed with the sidestream. After removal from the
distillation device, the sidestream is subjected to pervaporation.
In a distillation column, a distillate is obtained at the head of the column, whereas a
distillation residue is obtained at the bottom of the column. Sidestream products are
obtainable at any desired position beneath the head of the column and above the
bottom of the column. According to the invention, the sidestream may be removed at
any position between the head and the bottom of the column, provided that it is waterenriched.
Typically, a sidestream fraction is collected in appropriate means in a
distillation device, such as trays, and led to an outlet at the desired position (height).
Distillation devices, from which sidestreams are obtained, are known in the art.
Preferably, the sidestream consists mostly of methylbutinol and water. Preferably, the
sidestream comprises more than 90% (w/w), more preferably more than 95% (w/w)
methylbutinol, and water. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the waterenriched
sidestream in step (c) comprises 50 to 95% (w/w) methylbutinol and 10 to 40%
(w/w) water, more preferably between 70 and 90% (w/w) methylbutinol and 15 to 30%
(w/w) water. The sidestream may comprise an azeotrope of methylbutinol and water. At
about 9 1 °C, water and methylbutinol form an azeotrope consisting of about 70.5 to
72.5% (w/w) methylbutinol and 27.5 to 29.5% (w/w) water. However, it is not necessary
to achieve perfect azeotropic conditions in the sidestream. Water depletion can be
carried out efficiently, when any sidestream having a high water and methylbutinol
content is removed from the distillation device and subjected to pervaporation. The
sidestream may comprise low amounts of acetone and ammonia, for example up to 5%
(w/w) acetone and up to 1% (w/w) ammonia.
The sidestream is subjected to pervaporation. Pervaporation is a method for the
separation of mixtures of liquids by partial vaporization through a membrane. The
membrane acts as a selective barrier between the two phases, the liquid phase feed
and the vapor phase permeate. At least one component of the liquid feed is transferred
through the membrane by vaporization. The high molecular weight components of the
feed remain in the retentate. Typically, the upstream side of the membrane is at ambient
pressure and the downstream side (permeate side) is under vacuum or reduced
pressure. Thereby, the selective component is evaporated after permeation through the
membrane. It thus cannot form a liquid film, which might block the membrane. The
difference in the partial pressures of the components on the two sides is the driving
force for the separation.
Pervaporation has been used in the art for separating liquid mixtures, for example for
removing solvents from liquid compositions (Fontalvo Alzate, J. (2006), "Design and
performance of two-phase flow pervaporation and hybrid distillation process", TU
Eindhoven, Netherlands, ISBN 978-90-386-3007-6). Pervaporation is also used for
carrying out and actively supporting equilibrium reactions (Waldburger, R. et al. ( 1994),
„Kombination von Veresterung und Pervaporation in einem kontinuierlichen
Membranreaktor", Chem. Ing.-Tech. 66, p. 850-54, VCH Weinheim, DE).
According to the invention, at least one pervaporation device is used, which is capable
of separating water from methylbutinol. Membranes for the removal of water from
organic compounds are known in the art. In a preferred embodiment of the invention,
the pervaporation is carried out with a hydrophilic membrane, preferably a polyvinyl
alcohol membrane or a polyimide membrane. Alternatively, the membrane may be a
ceramic membrane, for example based on zeolite A. Ceramic membranes for
pervaporation comprise nanoporous layers on macroporous supports. The pores must
be large enough to let water molecules pass through and small enough to retain
methylbutinol. The surfaces may be modified by specific coatings or treatments. Such
membranes have been used for water removal from organic reaction mixtures
(Waldburger, R. et al. (1994), see above) and are available from Folex, Switzerland
(formerly CM-Celfa Membranes, Switzerland). Further applicable membranes are
available from Sulzer Chemtech Ltd., Switzerland, and were available from GFT,
Gesellschaft fur Trenntechnik, Germany.
In the pervaporation step, the water content of the sidestream is reduced. Preferably,
the water content of the retentate is reduced to less than 50%, less than 20%, or less
than 10% of the water content of the sidestream. Preferably, the retentate of the
pervaporation comprises less than 10%, preferably less than 6% or more preferably
less than 3% (w/w) water. Preferably, the water content in the retentate is between
0.1 % and 10% or between 1% and 8% (w/w). Typically, pervaporation of a sidestream
comprising about 15 to 25% (w/w) water may reduce the water content to about 0.1 to
10% (w/w). The water content in the retentate may be reduced further, for example by
using several pervaporation devices or membranes in series. The water content may
also be reduced further by reintroducing the pervaporation retentate into the
pervaporation feed. For example, the water content could be reduced further by
combining two, three or more pervaporation devices and/or membranes in series and/or
by passing the retentate two, three or more times through the pervaporation device.
When reducing the water content to such levels and recycling the retentate, water can
be removed efficiently from the overall process whilst reducing the loss of methylbutinol
to a minimum.
The permeate, which mostly comprises water, is removed from the overall process. It
can be discarded or recycled, for example to recover residual methylbutinol or acetone.
Depending on the membrane and pervaporation conditions selected, the permeate may
comprise methylbutinol, for example between 1 and 15% (w/w). In a specific
embodiment, the methylbutinol is separated from the permeate and reintroduced into
the distillation device.
The at least partially dewatered retentate comprises a high ratio of methylbutinol. In a
preferred embodiment of the invention, the retentate of the pervaporation is
reintroduced into the distillation device, preferably continuously. For example, it may be
combined with feed composition and re-fed into the distillation column. Thus, the overall
loss of methylbutinol is minimized, whereas water is efficiently removed from the overall
process. When removing water continuously by pervaporation, the water content in the
methylbutinol product can be reduced significantly.
Preferably, the pervaporation is carried out with a liquid sidestream. The temperature of
the sidestream at the location where it is withdrawn from the column may be between
75 and 98 °C, preferably between 85 and 95 °C. Before entering the pervaporation
device, the temperature of the sidestream may be adjusted to a temperature suitable for
pervaporation, for example between 80 and 100 °C.
In another embodiment of the invention, the sidestream is gaseous. The pervaporation
could then be carried out with the gaseous sidestream. This would be energetically
advantageous, but requires the use of membranes stable at the boiling point of the
methylbutinol of about 104 °C.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the process comprises the steps of
(a) providing a feed composition comprising methylbutinol, acetone and water,
(b) subjecting the feed composition to distillation in a rectification column,
(c) removing a sidestream from the distillation column, the sidestream having a
higher water content than the feed composition and comprising 50 to 95%
(w/w) methylbutinol and 10 to 40% (w/w) water,
(d) subjecting said sidestream to pervaporation, thereby reducing the water
content, and
(e) reintroducing the retentate of the pervaporation obtained in step (d) into the
distillation column,
wherein acetone and low-boiling compounds are removed with condensed distillate, and
purified methylbutinol is removed with the distillation residue.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the process is a continuous process. In a
continuous process, the feed composition is continuously introduced into the distillation
device. Further, the sidestream is continuously removed and subjected to
pervaporation. The pervaporation retentate, which is enriched in methylbutinol, is re-fed
into the process. Overall, the feed composition is continuously dewatered. Methylbutinol
is collected at the bottom of the device, being depleted of water as well as low-boiling
components, especially acetone and ammonia. Preferably, the continuous process is
adjusted to equilibrium conditions. In other words, the reaction conditions, such as
product concentrations, temperatures, pressures etc., in the distillation device are
approximately stable. In such a process, purified methylbutinol can be withdrawn
continuously from the bottom of a column. Usually, equilibrium conditions can be
obtained after an industrial process is run under controlled conditions for at least several
hours or days.
The inventive process can be carried out with known distillation devices. Preferably, the
distillation device is a distillation column, especially a rectification column. Rectification
is a type of counter-current distillation, in which two fluid streams are moving in opposite
directions. As the first fluid stream, a vapor stream moves upwards inside the column
and is condensed at the top of the column. At least part of the condensate flows back
into the column and moves downwards as the second fluid stream, which is a
countercurrent liquid stream. A rectification column usually comprises means for
increasing the contact area between the two streams, such as trays, especially bubble
trays. The means may also be sieves, fillings or structured packages. Rectification
columns are well-known in the art. The distillation device may also comprise multiple
distillation columns, for example two or three distillation columns. However, it was found
that a single column, combined with the pervaporation step, is sufficient to obtain a high
yield of methylbutinol.
Preferably, the distillation column is a sidestream column. Sidestream columns are
distillation columns, usually rectification columns, for obtaining at least three fractions
from a feed composition, which are distillate, distillation residue and sidestream. The
design and operation of sidestream distillation columns is known in the art and
described, for example, in Glinos and Malone (1985), Ind. Eng. Chem. Process Des.
Dev., 822-828.
In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the distillation device is a dividing wall
column. Usually, a dividing wall column is a rectification column. In addition to the
horizontal compartments, such as trays, a dividing wall column comprises a vertical wall
within the column, which separates two compartments from each other. The feed is
introduced on one side of the wall, whereas a sidestream accumulates and can be
withdrawn on the opposite side of the wall.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the distillation, in which the sidestream is
removed, is not carried out in the presence of an entrainer. In the state of the art,
methylbutinol is usually purified from aqueous compositions by distillation in the
presence of entrainers, such as benzene, which form an azeotrope with water. As noted
above, the use of entrainers is disadvantageous for a number of reasons. For example,
entrainers increase the cost and energy consumption of such processes and introduce
another undesired component, which finally has to be removed from the product.
Further, the water/entrainer azeotrope usually comprises a relatively high amount of
methylbutinol, and thus the yield is decreased or additional separation steps have to be
applied. In the inventive process, which uses pervaporation for removing water,
methylbutinol can be efficiently purified and dewatered without addition of an entrainer.
Specifically, when combining pervaporation with a distillation as outlined above, water
and other components can be removed nearly quantitatively in a relatively simple
process without an entrainer. This renders the overall process effective, cost- and
energy-efficient.
In specific preferred embodiments, no aromatic entrainer is added prior to or during the
distillation, during which the sidestream is removed. It is also not necessary to include
another process step, in which methylbutinol is further purified, or pre-purified, in the
presence of an entrainer. However, the inventive process may be carried out in the
presence of an entrainer, for example if considered necessary for increasing product
purity. When adding an entrainer in the distillation with the sidestream removal, it is
preferred to use only a little amount, for example below 2% (w/w) or below 1% (w/w) of
the feed composition.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the feed composition is fed into the
distillation column in the gaseous state. The feed composition can be converted into a
gas with an evaporator. Usually, an evaporator produces a gaseous phase under
reduced pressure or normal pressure, for example between 1 kPa ( 10 mbar) and
100 kPa ( 1 bar) absolute. The residence time of the feed composition in the evaporator
is preferably as low as possible. A low residence time can be achieved in a film
evaporator, for example.
In another preferred embodiment, a natural or forced circulation evaporator is positioned
at the bottom of the column. The distillation residue is circulated in the circulation
evaporator in order to improve separation of water, acetone and other volatile
components from the distillation residue.
Preferably, the methylbutinol produced according to the inventive process comprises
more than 99% (w/w) methylbutinol, more preferably more than 99.5% or more than
99.7% (w/w) methylbutinol. Preferably, it comprises less than 0.1 %, preferably less than
0.05% or less than 0.03% (w/w) water.
Subject of the invention is also the use of pervaporation and/or a pervaporation
membrane for removing water from methylbutinol, or in a method for purifying
methylbutinol.
Subject of the invention is also a device for carrying out a process of any of the
preceding claims, comprising a distillation column and means for pervaporation, the
device comprising methylbutinol.
Description of the Drawings
Figure 1 schematically shows an exemplified process design for the production of
methylbutinol according to the invention.
A feed composition 1 comprising methylbutinol and water is fed into a distillation device.
The distillation device is a column 2 comprising a bottom 3 and head 4 . In the distillation
process, low-boiling components which are liquid at room temperature, especially
acetone, are condensed in a condenser at the head of the column and removed through
outlet 11. Ammonia, which is not condensed, mostly passes the condenser and is
removed in gaseous form through outlet 19. Methylbutinol is collected in the distillation
residue at the bottom 3 . A sidestream is removed from the column through conduit 7 .
The sidestream may be collected in a tank 5 . It is transferred into a pervaporation
device 6 through conduit 8 . The water is enriched in permeate and removed through
outlet 9 . The water may be discarded or recycled. The retentate, which is dewatered
and also enriched in methylbutinol, is transferred through connections 10 and reintroduced
into the feed composition 1. Thereby, water is removed from the overall
process. At the bottom of the column, methylbutinol, i . e. a composition comprising a
high ratio of methylbutinol, is removed through connection 12. According to the
invention, the methylbutinol removed through connection 12 has a high purity and low
water content, as well as a low content of low-boiling components.
Optionally, the methylbutinol may be subjected to subsequent purification steps. For
example, the methylbutinol product may be distilled in a subsequent second distillation
column 13 . In column 13, high-molecular weight components, such as undesired sideproducts,
are maintained at the bottom of the column, whereas methylbutinol is isolated
in a sidestream 17 . At the top of the column, a methylbutinol/water azeotrope could be
isolated through connection 16, after condensation in a condenser 5 . Thus, the water
(and acetone) content could be decreased further. In a specific embodiment, the
azeotrope 6 could be re- introduced into the pervaporation device 6 or into the first
distillation column 2 at a height between stream 1 and stream 7 .
Figure 2 schematically shows an exemplified distillation device for the production of
methylbutinol according to the invention.
A feed composition 1 comprising methylbutinol, water, acetone and ammonia is fed by
pump 23 into a distillation device 2, which is a rectification column comprising bubble
cap trays 38. The feed is heated by heater 36. The liquid distillation residue
accumulates at the bottom 3 of the column 2 . A falling film evaporator 20 heated by oil
circulation 2 1 is located at the bottom 3 of the column. The product is withdrawn through
connections 12 via pump 22. A sidestream 7 consisting mostly of water and
methylbutinol is withdrawn from column 2 by pump 35 and cooled by cooler 40. The
sidestream is subjected to pervaporation in pervaporation device 6 and thereby
depleted of water. The water is enriched in the permeate and removed through outlet 9.
The water may be discarded or recycled. The retentate, which is dewatered and also
enriched in methylbutinol, can be re-introduced into the feed stream through
connections 10 . The retentate, which is enriched in methylbutinol, is thus reintroduced
into column 2 . Thereby, water is removed from the overall process. The temperature of
column 2 is controlled by circuit 24. A partial condenser 27 is located at the head 4 of
column 2, from which liquid distillate can reflow into the column. Distillate is removed
from the column by fluid separator 4 1 positioned underneath the partial condenser 27
through connections 42, passes distillate cooler 34 and is collected in container 37. The
distillate is enriched in acetone and can be refluxed and partially removed from the
process through outlet 38 by pump 25. At the head 4 of the column, gas which is not
condensed in partial condenser 27 is transferred to an external condenser 29, which is
a brine condenser. Condensed liquid, which is enriched in acetone, accumulates in
cooling trap 28, from which it can be discarded or recycled. The gas stream which
passes external condenser 29 is enriched in ammonia and transferred through
connections 30 by pump 26 into ammonia absorption device 3 1 comprising a
temperature control circuit 33. Exhaust gas is removed through outlet 32.
The inventive process solves the problems underlying the invention. The invention
provides a relatively simple, cost- and energy-efficient process for the production of a
highly pure methylbutinol.
No addition of an entrainer is necessary, and thus the drawbacks of entrainers can be
avoided. The product does not comprise entrainer impurities. Environmental problems
associated with aromatic entrainers are avoided. The overall process can be handled
and adjusted more easily and conveniently, because no formation of ternary entrainer
azeotropes with water and methylbutinol has to be taken into account. Therefore, the
loss of methylbutinol is lower and the overall thermodynamic separation problem is less
complicated in the inventive process.
The energy consumed in the inventive process is basically equal to the evaporation
energy of the feed composition and condensation energy of the permeate. In the
distillation column, into which the feed composition is introduced, the methylbutinol is
not distilled and condensed, but enriched in the distillation residue. In contrast, in state
of the art entrainer process, additional energy is used for evaporation and condensation
of the entrainer. It was calculated that the overall process of the invention requires
about 10 to 40% less energy, compared to a conventional entrainer process.
Examples:
Example 1: (Simulation)
The process was simulated in industrial scale with process simulation software
(trademark ChemCAD 6; Chemstation, US). The simulation comprised three
consecutive columns. Process conditions and results are summarized in Table 1. The
simulation yielded information about optimized conditions and compositions of process
fractions for carrying out the process. Moreover, it shows that a sidestream composition
is obtained enriched in methylbutinol and water in concentrations suitable for water
depletion by pervaporation.
Examples 2 and 3 : (Laboratory scale)
The process was carried out at laboratory scale. Process conditions and results are
summarized in Table 1. The distillation device consisted of three consecutive columns
arranged on top of each other. The distillation residue was collected in a flask. At the
head of the upper column, liquid was condensed with a backflow condenser and
condensate was removed after passing a reflow partitioner. A sidestream was collected
at a position below the upper column and above the middle column. At the bottom of the
column, methylbutinol is enriched in concentrated form (99.6/99.7% w/w). Acetone is
accumulated in the condenser and the distillate, whereas the concentration of
methylbutinol is 0.15/0.2% (w/w) in the condenser and 11.5 % (w/w) in the distillate. In
Example 2, the sidestream comprised 65.9% (w/w) methylbutinol and 2 1.6% (w/w)
water. In Example 3, the sidestream comprised 78.4% (w/w) methylbutinol and 18.8%
water (w/w). The sidestream is thus suitable for water depletion by pervaporation.
Overall, the results show that methylbutinol is obtained in highly concentrated form, the
loss of methylbutinol is low and water can be removed efficiently by pervaporation.
Example 4 : (Pilot scale)
The process was carried out at a pilot scale. Process conditions and results are
summarized in Table . The rectification column comprised 30 bubble cap trays having
a diameter of 50 mm. The feed was introduced in gaseous form above tray 20. The
sidestream was removed at the position of tray 8 . The partial condenser had a
temperature of 20 °C and the external condenser had a temperature of - 0 °C. At the
bottom of the column, methylbutinol is obtained in concentrated form (99.7% w/w).
Acetone is enriched in the condenser and the distillate, whereas the concentration of
methylbutinol is 0% in the condenser and 1% (w/w) in the distillate. A sidestream
enriched in methylbutinol (78.9 % w/w) and water (18.8% w/w) is isolated, which is
suitable for water depletion by pervaporation. Overall, the results show that
methylbutinol is obtained in highly concentrated form, the loss of methylbutinol is very
low and water can be removed efficiently by pervaporation.
Example 5 : (Pervaporation)
Pervaporation was carried out with fractions enriched in methylbutinol and water as
obtained in the sidestreams by processes of Examples 1 to 4 . An artificial mixture of
about 70% pure methylbutinol, 28% water, 1% acetone, 1% ammonia and 0.1 % acetic
acid (w/w) was subjected to pervaporation. Pervaporation was carried out with a device
comprising a feed container with a circulation pump, a heated pervaporation cell with a
membrane (CMC-E, Celfa AG, Switzerland) and a subsequent condenser. The
permeation was carried out at about 90 °C and the flow was adjusted to 880 g/m2h over
a duration of 7 10 hours. A water-enriched permeate was removed in gaseous form
through the membranes. The retentate comprised about 9 1.5% methylbutinol, 6.3%
water, 1.3% acetone and 0.9% ammonia. The permeate mainly comprised water with
about 0.1 % methylbutinol, 0.05% acetone and 1.5% ammonia. Overall, the feed could
be significantly depleted of water, whereas the loss of methylbutinol with the permeate
was extremely low. The water content in the retentate could be reduced further to about
2% (w/w) by reducing the flow. The methylbutinol concentration in the permeate was
then raised to 2% (w/w), which is still low and acceptable. Overall, the results show that
water depletion by pervaporation is highly efficient.
The operating conditions and results of Examples 1 to 4 are summarized in Table 1.
The following abbreviations indicate the type of packing material used to pack the
columns:
RG = Raschig rings (glass)
WS = wire spirals
BCT = bubble cap trays
Table 1: Conditions and results of Examples 1 to 4 .

WE CLAIMS:-
A process for the production of methylbutinol (2-methyl-3-butin-2-ol), wherein the
process comprises at least one pervaporation step.
The process of claim 1, comprising providing a feed composition comprising
methylbutinol and water, removing a fraction of the feed composition, the fraction
having a higher water content than the feed composition, and subjecting the
fraction to pervaporation, thereby reducing the water content.
The process of at least one of the preceding claims, comprising the steps of
(a) providing a feed composition comprising methylbutinol and water,
(b) subjecting the feed composition to distillation in a distillation device,
(c) removing a sidestream from the distillation device, the sidestream having a
higher water content than the feed composition, and
(d) subjecting said sidestream to pervaporation, thereby reducing the water
content.
The process of at least one of claims 2 to 3, wherein the feed composition is a
crude reaction product of acetone and acetylene, or derived from such a crude
reaction product.
The process of at least one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the feed composition
comprises 50 to 99.5% (w/w) methylbutinol and 0.1 to 25% (w/w) water.
The process of at least one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the feed composition
comprises
(i) 50 to 99.5%, preferably 75 to 99% (w/w), methylbutinol,
(ii) 0.1 to 25%, preferably 0.2 to 10% (w/w), water,
(iii) 0.1 to 25%, preferably 0.2 to 10% (w/w), acetone, and
(iv) 0 to 0%, preferably 0.2 to 7.5% (w/w), ammonia.
The process of at least one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the feed composition in step
(a) comprises acetone, wherein the distillate obtained from the distillation is
enriched in acetone, compared to the feed composition, and/or wherein the
distillation residue is enriched in methylbutinol, compared to the feed composition.
8 . The process of at least one of claims 3 to 7, wherein the distillation is carried out in
the absence of an entrainer.
9 . The process of at least one of claims 3 to 8, wherein the sidestream in step (c)
comprises 50 to 95% (w/w) methylbutinol and 10 to 40% (w/w) water.
10. The process of at least one of the preceding claims, wherein the pervaporation is
carried out with a polyvinyl alcohol membrane, polyimide membrane or ceramic
membrane.
11. The process of at least one of the preceding claims, wherein the pervaporation is
carried out at a temperature between 80 °C and 100 °C.
12 . The process of at least one of claims 3 to 11, wherein the retentate of the
pervaporation is reintroduced into the distillation device.
13. The process of at least one of claims 3 to 12, wherein the distillation residue
comprises more than 99.5% (w/w) methylbutinol and less than 0.1 %, preferably
less than 0.03%, (w/w) water.
14. The process of at least one of the preceding claims, wherein the process is a
continuous process.
15. Use of pervaporation and/or a pervaporation membrane for removing water from
methylbutinol, or in a method for purifying methylbutinol.