Glycerol → Acrylic Acid

Participants

Reaction Steps

The stream (6) has a high water content due to the composition of the stream (5) entering the reactor (glycerol charge) and to the reaction itself (dehydration). Stage b) in the process according to the invention consists in separating this stream (6) into a phase (9) enriched in acrolein and a phase (10) rich in water and depleted in acrolein. This stage b), such as the partial separation of the water described, for example, in Patent Application WO 08/087315 on behalf of the Applicant Company or such as the separation described in Application WO 2006/136336, has the aim of removing most of the water present and the heavy byproducts before sending the stream comprising the acrolein to a purification stage, in a process for the manufacture of acrolein, or to the stage for the oxidation of acrolein to give acrylic acid, in a two-stage process for the manufacture of acrylic acid from glycerol. This partial separation of the water thus makes it possible to avoid damage to the catalyst of the 2nd stage of the oxidation of acrolein to give acrylic acid and to avoid, during the subsequent stages, the removal of large amounts of water, which could well be expensive and result in losses of acrylic acid. In addition, it makes it possible to remove a portion of the “heavy” impurities formed during the dehydration of the glycerol.

Provenance & Evidence