A process for producing ethanol including a combination of biochemical and synthetic conversions results in high yield ethanol production with concurrent production of high value coproducts. An acetic acid intermediate is produced from carbohydrates, such as corn, using enzymatic milling and fermentation steps, followed by conversion of the acetic acid into ethanol using esterification and hydrogenation reactions. Coproducts can include corn oil, and high protein animal feed containing the biomass produced in the fermentation.

Process for producing ethanol

A process for producing ethanol by the conversion of carbohydrates from a corn dry milling process in which the bottoms fraction from distillation of ethanol in a conventional yeast fermentation is used in a process including a combination of biochemical and synthetic conversions. The process results in high yield ethanol production with concurrent production of high value coproducts. An acetic acid intermediate is produced from bottoms fraction, followed by conversion of the acetic acid into ethanol using esterification and hydrogenation reactions. Coproducts of the process include a high protein content solids fraction produced in the fermentation.

Process for producing ethanol from corn dry milling

Process intensification offers the potential to drastically reduce the energy consumption and cost of producing chemicals from both bulk and distributed feedstocks. This review article aims to offer an extensive survey on state-of-the-art process systems engineering (PSE) approaches for process intensification. From both academic and industrial perspectives, this paper provides an overview of the development of various process intensification technologies, specifically those under the categories of separation, reaction, hybrid reaction/separation, and alternative energy sources. A current status analysis in the areas of modeling and simulation is then provided. An indicative list of PSE publications specialized on process intensification is presented to illustrate the progresses made so far towards the deployment of novel process intensification technologies. We also highlight some recent advances for the modeling, design, and synthesis of intensified systems, as well as for the assessment of their controllability/operability/safety performance. Key open questions in these areas include: (i) how to systematically derive intensified designs, and (ii) how to ensure the operability and optimality of the derived intensified structures while delivering their expected functionality.

An overview of process systems engineering approaches for process intensification: State of the art

Vapor-liquid phase equilibrium in systems with multiple chemical reactions

A method is provided to improve the quality of recycle of certain residues by modifying the separation of alkanes and alkane-like materials and carbonyl-containing impurities from the recycle during the manufacture of acetic acid by the carbonylation of methanol. The improvement comprises partitioning the residues by the addition of water obtained from aqueous streams containing up to 50 wt.% acetic acid and which have been treated in a catalytic distillation unit to react the acetic acid with methanol to form recyclable methyl acetate and water and wherein the water is separated from the organics by distillation.

Recovery of acetic acid from dilute aqueous streams formed during a carbonylation process

The present invention provides a process for the production of high purity methyl acetate from methanol and glacial acetic acid wherein the acetic acid functions both as a reactant and as an extractive agent The process comprises countercurrently flowing approximately stoichiometric quantities of acetic acid and methanol through a single reactive distillation column in the presence of an acidic catalyst which is preferably sulfuric acid The column provides intimate contact between the acetic acid and the methanol and between the acetic acid and the azeotropes (methyl acetate/water and methyl acetate/methanol) which are formed in the column At preferred catalyst concentrations, the residence time in the column is at least about two hours The process further comprises continuously removing high purity methyl acetate from the top of the column and continuously removing water from the bottom of the column In preferred embodiments, the process further comprises removing intermediate boiling compounds, such as methyl propionate, methyl butyrate, isopropyl acetate, and mixtures thereof, from a vapor sidedraw stream The invention further comprises in preferred embodiments the use of a temperature control scheme whereby the overhead and the bottoms compositions are controlled by using two temperature control loops

Reactive distillation process for the production of methyl acetate

A process for preparing methyl acetate of high purity at high reactant conversions. In this process glacial acetic acid is reacted with methanol to form methyl acetate and it is also used as an extractive agent for water and/or methanol. The glacial acetic acid is continuously reacted with at least a stoichiometric amount of methanol in a reaction zone in the presence of an acidic catalyst. A methyl acetate stream is continuously removed from the zone by distillation. The glacial acetic acid and methanol are countercurrently flowed into the reaction zone and the residence time of the reacting liquids in the zone is selected to permit the glacial acetic acid to function as an extractive agent for water and/or methanol. In operation, there is intimate contact between the glacial acetic acid and the methanol and also between the acid and azeotropes (methyl acetate/water and methyl acetate/methanol azeotropes) which form in the reaction zone. Such azeotropes are "broken" by extraction with the glacial acetic acid and also by the reaction of such acid with methanol in the methyl acetate/methanol azeotropes.

Process for the preparation of methyl acetate

A method of isolating lignin from a solvent pulping liquor containing lignin and a lower alcohol solvent, comprising the steps of:
 (1) continuously adding solvent pulping liquor to a stripping column, (2) heating the pulping liquor in the stripping column to produce an alcohol-rich overhead vapor stream and a residual slurry comprising lignin, (3) continuously withdrawing the overhead vapor stream from the stripping column, and (4) isolating the residual slurry.

Lee Reynolds Partin

Papers

Reactive distillation process for the production of methyl acetate

Process for the preparation of methyl acetate

Isolation of lignin from solvent pulping liquors