Process solvents

Solvent molecules Solvent Orange 60 Solvent Orange 63 Solvent preparation Solvent process Solvent properties... 

Most cellulose acetate is manufactured by a solution process, ie, the cellulose acetate dissolves as it is produced. The cellulose is acetylated with acetic anhydride acetic acid is the solvent and sulfuric acid the catalyst. The latter can be present at 10—15 wt % based on cellulose (high catalyst process) or at ca 7 wt % (low catalyst process). In the second most common process, the solvent process, methylene chloride replaces the acetic acid as solvent, and perchloric acid is frequentiy the catalyst. There is also a seldom used heterogeneous process that employs an organic solvent as the medium, and the cellulose acetate produced never dissolves. More detailed information on these processes can be found in Reference 28. 

In the United States there was Httie interest in solvent processing of coals. A method to reduce the sulfur content of coal extracts by beating with sodium hydroxide and zinc oxide was, however, patented in 1940 (116). In the 1960s the technical feasibiHty of a coal deashing process was studied (117),... 

D. L. Kloepper and co-workers. Solvent Processing of Coal to Produce a De-ashed Product, Contract 14-01-0001-275, OCR Report No. 9, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 1965. 

W. N. Mitchell, K. L. Trachte, md S. Zaczepinski, "Performance of Low-Rank Coals in the Exxon Donor Solvent Process," paper presented at / 0th Biennial Eignite Symposium, Grmd Porks, N.D., May 1979. 

Solvent Treatment. Solvent processes can be divided into two main categories, solvent extraction and solvent dewaxing. The solvent used in the extraction processes include propane and cresyHc acid, 2,2 -dichlorodiethyl ether, phenol (qv), furfural, sulfur dioxide, benzene, and nitrobenzene. In the dewaxing process (28), the principal solvents are benzene, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, propane, petroleum naphtha, ethylene dichloride, methylene chloride, sulfur dioxide, and iV-methylpyrroHdinone. 

The early developments of solvent processing were concerned with the lubricating oil end of the cmde. Solvent extraction processes are appHed to many usefiil separations in the purification of gasoline, kerosene, diesel fuel, and other oils. In addition, solvent extraction can replace fractionation in many separation processes in the refinery. For example, propane deasphalting (Fig. 7) has replaced, to some extent, vacuum distillation as a means of removing asphalt from reduced cmde oils. 

Solvent Process. In the solvent process, or solvent cook, water formed from the reaction is removed from the reactor as an a2eotropic mixture with an added solvent, typically xylene. Usually between 3 to 10 wt % of the solvent, based on the total charge, is added at the beginning of the esterification step. The mixed vapor passes through a condenser. The condensed water and solvent have low solubiUty in each other and phase separation is allowed to occur in an automatic decanter. The water is removed, usually to a measuring vessel. The amount of water collected can be monitored as one of the indicators of the extent of the reaction. The solvent is continuously returned to the reactor to be recycled. Typical equipment for this process is shown in Figure 2. The reactor temperature is modulated by the amount and type of refluxing solvent. Typical conditions are ... 

Fig. 3. Solvent-processing equipment using partial condenser. Level a on the water overflow line to the receiver should be about 3 cm below level b on the solvent-return line. Dimension b—c must be great enough to overcome pressure drop in the vapor piping, condenser, solvent piping, and rotameter. In a 4 m (1000-gaI) ketde, dimension b—c would be at least 1.25 m. The volume of the piping described by the dimension c—d—e should contain twice the volume of dimension b—c, thus providing an adequate Hquid seal against normal ketde operating pressures.

There are advantages and disadvantages in both processes the solvent process requires no special equipment but uses an excess of benzene whose recovery adds to the cost of the product. The bad mill method uses no excess benzene but requires special equipment which has frequent mechanical problems. 

Newer technology involves aqueous-processible photopolymer plates. Many plate-makers and printers are eager to switch to water processing in order to eliminate volatile organic solvents. The chemistry and process of use are similar to that of the solvent-processible plate except that in the aqueous plate, the elastomer has pendent carboxyl, hydroxyl, or other water-soluble groups to allow aqueous processing. 

Raw lac is first treated to remove water-soluble carbohydrates and the dye that gives lac its red color. Also removed are woody materials, insect bodies, and trash. It is further refined by either hot filtration or a solvent process. In the heat process, the dried, refined lac is filtered molten through cloth or wine screens to produce the standard grades of orange shellac. In the solvent process, lac is dissolved and refluxed in alcohol solvents, filtered to remove dirt and impurities, and concentrated by evaporation. The lac can be further decolori2ed in this process to produce very pale grades. Bleached shellac is prepared by treatment with dilute sodium hypochlorite and coalesced into slabs. 

The IRCA. Solvent Process, Dye 6, Technical Bulletin, Geigy Dyestuffs, Geigy Chemical Corp., Dec. 1960. 

PurisolProcess. This is a solvent process which uses A/-meth5i-2-pyrroHdinone [872-50-4] as the solvent and benefits from high pressure,... 

Two solvent processes for preparation of Ca(OCl)2 have been described. In one, a CCl solution of /-C H OCl is allowed to react with a thin lime slurry and the aqueous phase, a solution of Ca(OCl)2, is evaporated to a product with a purity of >95% (217). In the other, a solution of HOCl in methyl ethyl ketone reacts with either CaO or Ca(OH)2 (133). FoUowing filtration, the residual solvent in the product is removed under vacuum. 

Except for the solvent process above, the cmde product obtained is a mixture of chloroprene, residual dichlorobutene, dimers, and minor by-products. Depending on the variant employed, this stream can be distiUed either before or after decantation of water to separate chloroprene from the higher boiling impurities. When the concentration of 1-chloro-1,3-butadiene [627-22-5] is in excess of that allowed for polymerisation, more efficient distillation is required siace the isomers differ by only about seven degrees ia boiling poiat. The latter step may be combiaed with repurifying monomer recovered from polymerisation. Reduced pressure is used for final purification of the monomer. All streams except final polymerisation-grade monomer are inhibited to prevent polymerisation. 

Fig. 3. Exxon donoi solvent process. To convert MPa to psi, multiply by 145.

In suspension processes the fate of the continuous liquid phase and the associated control of the stabilisation and destabilisation of the system are the most important considerations. Many polymers occur in latex form, i.e. as polymer particles of diameter of the order of 1 p.m suspended in a liquid, usually aqueous, medium. Such latices are widely used to produce latex foams, elastic thread, dipped latex rubber goods, emulsion paints and paper additives. In the manufacture and use of such products it is important that premature destabilisation of the latex does not occur but that such destabilisation occurs in a controlled and appropriate manner at the relevant stage in processing. Such control of stability is based on the general precepts of colloid science. As with products from solvent processes diffusion distances for the liquid phase must be kept short furthermore, care has to be taken that the drying rates are not such that a skin of very low permeability is formed whilst there remains undesirable liquid in the mass of the polymer. For most applications it is desirable that destabilisation leads to a coherent film (or spongy mass in the case of foams) of polymers. To achieve this the of the latex compound should not be above ambient temperature so that at such temperatures intermolecular diffusion of the polymer molecules can occur. 

The seedlac may then be converted to shellac by either a heat process or by solvent processes. In the heat process the resin is heated to a melt which is then forced through a filter cloth which retains woody and insoluble matter. In the solvent process the lac is dissolved in a solvent, usually ethyl alcohol. The solution is filtered through a fine cloth and the solvent recovered by distillation. 

Variation in the details of the solvent processes will produce different grades of shellac. For example, when cold alcohol is used, lac wax which is associated with the resin remains insoluble and a shellac is obtained free from wax. Thermally processed shellacs were greatly favoured for gramophone records as they were free from residual solvent and also contained a small quantity of lac wax which proved a useful plasticiser. 

Chemical solvent processes use an aqueous solution of a weak base to chemically react with and absorb the acid gases in the natural gas stream. 

The absorption occurs as a result of the driving force of the partial pres-Miie from the gas to the liquid. The reactions involved are reversible bv changing the system temperature or pressure, or both. Therefore, die at[ueous base solution can be regenerated and thus circulated in a contin nous cycle. The majority of chemical solvent processes use either an amine or carbonate solution. 

Physical solvent processes have a high affinity for heavy hydrocarbons. If the namral gas stream is rich in C3+ hydrocarbons, then the use of a physical solvent process may result in a significant loss of the heavier molecular weight hydrocarbons. These hydrocarbons are lost because they a c released from the solvent with the acid gases and cannot be economically recovered. 

A physical solvent process is shown in Figure 7-6. The sour gas contacts the solvent using counter-current flow in the absorber. Rich solvent from the absorber bottom is flashed in stages to a pressure near atmos... 

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