PARTIAL FLOW DISTILLATION Russian patent published in 2019 - IPC C07D301/12 C07D301/32 B01D3/14 C07D303/04 

FIELD: chemistry.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to continuous method of producing propylene oxide, which includes (a) reacting propene, optionally mixed with propane, with hydrogen peroxide in a reaction apparatus in the presence of acetonitrile as a solvent to obtain a stream of S0 which contains propylene oxide, acetonitrile, water is at least one additional component B, optionally propene and optionally propane, where the normal boiling point of at least one component B is higher than the normal boiling point of acetonitrile, and where the decimal logarithm of the octanol-water partition coefficient (log K_OW) of at least one component B is greater than zero; (b) separating propylene oxide from S0 to obtain stream S1 which contains acetonitrile, water, and at least one additional component B; (c) separating S1 into two streams S2 and S3; (d) subjecting stream S3 by fractionating vapour and liquid phases in a first fractionation apparatus to obtain a stream of vapour fraction S4a depleted of S3 by at least one of at least one component B, and to obtain liquid bottom stream S4b and effecting at least part of stream of vapour fraction S4a by fractionating vapour and liquid phases in second fractionation unit to obtain stream of vapour fraction S4c and liquid bottom stream S4 depleted of S4a by at least one of at least one component B; (e) recycling at least a portion of stream S4, optionally after treatment, to step (a).

EFFECT: distillation with partial flow is disclosed.

66 cl, 2 dwg, 5 tbl, 11 ex