METHOD OF CONTROLLING SYNTHESIS OF GLYCOLS VIA HYDRATION OF ETHYLENE OXIDE Russian patent published in 2000 - IPC

FIELD: industrial organic synthesis. SUBSTANCE: ethylene oxide hydration process control is accomplished by regulating desalted water and ethylene oxide consumption and reaction mixture temperature in reactor and heat exchanger varying steam intake. For that, additionally installed are line for circulation of desalted water and reaction mixture for lower and upper reactors and sensors for controlling oxygen concentration, pressure, reaction mixture level, and ethylene oxide concentration at lower reactor outlet. At the same time, temperature of heating of desalted water is set up, consumption of ethylene oxide and level of reaction mixture in lower reactor are corrected, oxygen concentration at lower reactor outlet is measured and, when temperature reaches its predetermined value, desalted water in circuit is heated to preset temperature, amount of steam fed into heat exchanger is changed, and ethylene oxide is fed into upper reactor. Reaction mixture recycles until maximum conversion of ethylene oxide is attained and, when conversion decreases, level in lower reactor is raised by varying ethylene oxide consumption in upper reactor, and vice versa. Ethylene oxide consumption is adjusted in dependence on its concentration at lower reactor outlet. In addition, ethylene oxide consumption is related by a linear function with temperature of hydration reaction, beginning and termination of the latter being determined from temperature and pressure values. EFFECT: increased process control accuracy and increased productivity of process. 1 dwg, 1 tbl