A method for producing mono-ethylene glycol (MEG) from a wood-based raw material, and wherein method includes: i) providing a wood-based feedstock originating from the wood-based raw material and including wood chips, wherein at most 5 weight-% of the wood chips in the wood-based feedstock are overthick wood chips as specified by SCAN-CM 40:01, and subjecting the wood-based feedstock to at least one pretreatment to form a liquid fraction and a fraction including solid cellulose particles; ii) subjecting the fraction comprising solid cellulose particles to enzymatic hydrolysis to form a lignin fraction and a carbohydrate fraction; iii) subjecting the carbohydrate fraction to catalytical conversion to form a liquid composition of glycols; and iv) recovering mono-ethylene glycol from the liquid composition of glycols. Further is disclosed a corresponding arrangement and mono-ethylene glycol obtainable by the method.

An improved process for the recovery of high-purity ethylene-oxide water feed streams to EO purification and MEG reaction units when both are operating in EO plants that incorporate EO Stripper bypass technology, by installing a second lights stripper to exclusively degasify the diluted EO feed to the MEG reactor, thus permitting the use of additional bypassed (gasified) EO absorbate as the diluent and resulting in a substantial increase in the total amount of EO absorbate that can bypass the EO Stripper.

An improved process for the recovery of high-purity ethylene-oxide water feed streams to EO purification and MEG reaction units when both are operating in EO plants that incorporate EO Stripper bypass technology, by installing a second lights stripper to exclusively degasify the diluted EO feed to the MEG reactor, thus permitting the use of additional bypassed (gasified) EO absorbate as the diluent and resulting in a substantial increase in the total amount of EO absorbate that can bypass the EO Stripper.

The invention relates to a process for producing ethylene glycol and/or ethylene carbonate, said process comprising contacting at least a portion of a recycle gas stream comprising an alkyl iodide impurity with a guard bed system positioned upstream of an ethylene oxide reactor to produce a treated recycle gas stream, wherein the guard bed system comprises silver on alumina; contacting a feed gas stream comprising ethylene, oxygen and at least a portion of the treated recycle gas stream with an epoxidation catalyst in the ethylene oxide reactor to produce an epoxidation reaction product comprising ethylene oxide; and contacting at least a portion of the epoxidation reaction product comprising ethylene oxide with an aqueous absorbent in the presence of an iodide-containing catalyst in an absorber to produce an aqueous product stream comprising ethylene carbonate and/or ethylene glycol and the recycle gas stream comprising the alkyl iodide impurity.

The invention relates to a process for producing ethylene glycol and/or ethylene carbonate, said process comprising contacting at least a portion of a recycle gas stream comprising an alkyl iodide impurity with a guard bed system positioned upstream of an ethylene oxide reactor to produce a treated recycle gas stream, wherein the guard bed system comprises silver on alumina; contacting a feed gas stream comprising ethylene, oxygen and at least a portion of the treated recycle gas stream with an epoxidation catalyst in the ethylene oxide reactor to produce an epoxidation reaction product comprising ethylene oxide; and contacting at least a portion of the epoxidation reaction product comprising ethylene oxide with an aqueous absorbent in the presence of an iodide-containing catalyst in an absorber to produce an aqueous product stream comprising ethylene carbonate and/or ethylene glycol and the recycle gas stream comprising the alkyl iodide impurity.

There is provided a method of producing ethylene oxide and ethylene glycol capable of reducing a concentration in discharged water of 1,4-dioxane contained generated in a step of producing ethylene oxide and ethylene glycol. A method of producing ethylene oxide and ethylene glycol includes a predetermined step of producing ethylene oxide, and a step of extracting a part of a column bottom liquid of an ethylene oxide stripping column in the step of producing ethylene oxide and supplying the extracted column bottom liquid to a by-produced ethylene glycol concentration column, concentrating ethylene glycol produced as a by-product in the step of producing ethylene oxide, and distilling and separating 1,4-dioxane produced as a by-product in the step of producing ethylene oxide, wherein the by-produced ethylene glycol concentration column is a divided wall distillation column.

There is provided a method of producing ethylene oxide and ethylene glycol capable of reducing a concentration in discharged water of 1,4-dioxane contained generated in a step of producing ethylene oxide and ethylene glycol. A method of producing ethylene oxide and ethylene glycol includes a predetermined step of producing ethylene oxide, and a step of extracting a part of a column bottom liquid of an ethylene oxide stripping column in the step of producing ethylene oxide and supplying the extracted column bottom liquid to a by-produced ethylene glycol concentration column, concentrating ethylene glycol produced as a by-product in the step of producing ethylene oxide, and distilling and separating 1,4-dioxane produced as a by-product in the step of producing ethylene oxide, wherein the by-produced ethylene glycol concentration column is a divided wall distillation column.

A process for the production of ethylene glycol from CO.sub.2, including the steps of: i) reducing CO.sub.2 to CO; ii) reacting the CO produced in step i) with an amine to form an oxamide or an oxamate or with an alcohol to form an oxalate; and iii) reducing the oxamide, oxamate or oxalate formed in step ii) to form ethylene glycol. Also, a process for the production of an oxamide, oxamate or oxalate and a process for the production of polyethylene terephthalate.

A process for the production of ethylene glycol from CO.sub.2, including the steps of: i) reducing CO.sub.2 to CO; ii) reacting the CO produced in step i) with an amine to form an oxamide or an oxamate or with an alcohol to form an oxalate; and iii) reducing the oxamide, oxamate or oxalate formed in step ii) to form ethylene glycol. Also, a process for the production of an oxamide, oxamate or oxalate and a process for the production of polyethylene terephthalate.

The present invention provides a method of preparing oxalic acid (H.sub.2C.sub.2O.sub.4), the method at least comprising the steps of: (a) providing a metal formate (HCO.sub.2M) containing stream, wherein the metal (M) of the metal formate (HCO.sub.2M) is a monovalent metal selected from the group consisting of Li, Na, K, Cs, Rb and a mixture thereof; (b) heating the metal formate (HCO.sub.2M) containing stream thereby obtaining a metal oxalate (M.sub.2C.sub.2O.sub.4) containing stream; (c) subjecting the metal oxalate (M.sub.2C.sub.2O.sub.4) containing stream to electrodialysis, thereby obtaining at least oxalic acid (M.sub.2C.sub.2O.sub.4) and a metal hydroxide (MOH).