Inventors:
Douglas J. Hallenburg - Mentor OH
Alan C. Clark - Mentor OH
James L. Hambrick - Chesterland OH
Assignee:
The Lubrizol Corporation - Wickliffe OH
International Classification:
B01D 310
C07C12132
C07C14302
Abstract:
Excess amounts of a pure form of acrylonitrile are reacted with other reactants in the production of various compounds such as 2-acrylamido-2-methyl propane sulfonic acid. Accordingly, large amounts of acrylonitrile remain unreacted and present with other contaminants. The present invention is directed toward the purification of such unreacted acrylonitrile and the purified acrylonitrile obtained from such a purification process. The purification is carried out by treating the unreacted acrylonitrile with a base and removing salts formed. The treated material is fed to a heat exchanger which heats the material preferably under vacuum to about 120. degree. F. and provides a heated fluid material. This heated fluid material is pumped to a lower area of a distillation tower which is maintained under vacuum and includes a plurality of distillation trays. Purified acrylonitrile has a lower boiling point and is drawn toward the top of the tower by vacuum and removed whereas the remainder of the material which includes contaminants has a higher boiling point and falls to the bottom of the tower.