Thomas Michael Pruitt

US Patent:

6818799, Nov 16, 2004

Filed:

Apr 17, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/418193

Inventors:

Richard Wai-Chun Liu - Seabrook TX
Philip Dean Hill - Baton Rouge LA
Thomas Edwin Pruitt - Deer Park TX
Forrest Lee Sanders - Katy TX
Albert Yi Yang - Houston TX

Assignee:

Rhodia, Inc. - Cranbury NJ

International Classification:

C07C 2904

US Classification:

568895, 568896, 568899, 568913, 568918, 568383, 210703, 210704, 210708, 210709, 210744, 210196, 516 41

Abstract:

There is a process for removing by-product tar during the manufacture of isopropyl alcohol. The process comprises the following: a) reacting propylene with concentrated sulfuric acid and water to form isopropyl alcohol and a spent acid having a by-product tar; b) capturing at least a portion of the isopropyl alcohol; c) contacting the spent acid with a gas in bubble form; d) allowing a least a portion of the tar to separate from the remainder of the spent acid to form a layer of tar and a layer of cleaned acid solution; e) capturing the tar; and h) recycling the cleaned acid solution to step a) as a source of sulfuric acid. There is also a process for removing by-product tar during the manufacture of methyl ethyl ketone. The process is substantially the same except that 1-butene is substituted for propylene. There is also a process for removing tar from a spent acid.

US Patent:

7034193, Apr 25, 2006

Filed:

Apr 15, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/826052

Inventors:

Richard Wai-Chun Liu - Seabrook TX, US
Philip Dean Hill - Baton Rouge LA, US
Thomas Edwin Pruitt - Deer Park TX, US
Forrest Lee Sanders - Katy TX, US
Albert Yi Yang - Houston TX, US

Assignee:

Rhodia Inc. - Cranbury NJ

International Classification:

C07C 29/04
B01D 21/00

US Classification:

568895, 568899, 568896, 568913, 568918, 568383, 210709, 210703, 210704, 210708, 210744, 210196, 516 41

Abstract:

A method for purifying a spent acid catalyst from an acid catalyzed chemical reaction that generates a mixture of a product, spent add and tar, includes the steps of separating the mixture of product, spent acid, and tar into a product fraction and a spent acid fraction, said spent acid fraction comprising a mixture of spent acid and tar, and separating the spent acid fraction, by flotation separation, centrifugation, or liquid-liquid coalescence, into a tar fraction and a de-tarred spent acid fraction. The fluidized tar and the de-tarred spent acid can each be further processed to produce concentrated acid.