RECTIFIED ALCOHOL PRODUCTION PROCESS Russian patent published in 2001 - IPC

FIELD: alcohol production. SUBSTANCE: process involves production of rectified alcohol by extracting the latter out of mash in mash-distillation column while transferring ethanol and associated impurities into mash distillate with vapor from the same column, liberation of mash distillate from head and intermediate impurities including fusel oil components in epuration column while simultaneously feeding hot water onto its top plate, rectification of epurate in alcohol-concentration column, from which fusel oil fractions, fusel alcohol, and non-pasteurized alcohol are drawn off, and distillation of head ethanol fractions. Mash rectification processes are carried out at low pressure in epuration, alcohol-concentration, methanol, and first- distillation columns and, at elevated pressure, in mash-rectification, extractive, and second-distillation columns. Mash-rectification, extractive, and second-distillation columns are heated by live steam. Steam leaving mash-rectification column is utilized for heating epuration and methanol columns. Steam leaving second-distillation column is utilized for heating first-distillation column and steam from extractive column is utilized for heating alcohol-concentration column and finally heating mash preheated by steam from alcohol-concentration column and from extractive column. Fractions from carbon dioxide-separator condensers, from mash- rectification and epuration columns, from alcohol-traps of impure cuts are conveyed together with fusel alcohol to feed plate of the first- distillation column. From the condenser of the latter, head fraction concentrate is tapped off. Still liquid along with fusel oil fractions from mash-rectification column and wash water from fusel oil washer are conveyed to lower feed plate of the second-distillation column. the Top plate of the same column receives fractions from condensers of methanol and alcohol- concentration columns. Head fraction concentrate is tapped from condenser of the second-distillation column. Fusel oil from vapor phase of the 5-11th lower plates of the same column is drawn off. Concentrate of propyl alcohols is discharged from liquid phase of lower plates of strengthening section of the second-distillation column. From its middle zone, ethanol fraction is tapped off and recycled into mash. EFFECT: improved alcohol quality at lower power consumption. 1 dwg, 2 tbl, 2 ex