Processes and systems for separating a mixture of three or more chemical components into multiple product streams each enriched in one of the components are provided herein. In some aspects, the present invention relates to processes for the separation of a chemical mixture including at least a heavy key component, an intermediate key component, and a light key component to form a product stream enriched in the light key component, a product stream enriched in the intermediate key component, and a product stream enriched in the heavy key component. Systems described herein may include one or more thermally coupled distillation columns including, for example, a dividing wall column, or a plurality of distillation columns arranged in a thermally integrated configuration.

Processes and systems for separating a mixture of three or more chemical components into multiple product streams each enriched in one of the components are provided herein. In some aspects, the present invention relates to processes for the separation of a chemical mixture including at least a heavy key component, an intermediate key component, and a light key component to form a product stream enriched in the light key component, a product stream enriched in the intermediate key component, and a product stream enriched in the heavy key component. Systems described herein may include one or more thermally coupled distillation columns including, for example, a dividing wall column, or a plurality of distillation columns arranged in a thermally integrated configuration.

A method and a device for condensing a water-soluble organic matter, which can collect a highly concentrated water-soluble organic matter, save energy, and reduce cost of the device by reducing a membrane area. According to the present invention, the permeability ratio of a vapor-permeation separation membrane disposed at least immediately before a final outlet on a non-permeation side in the separation membrane device is lower than those of the other vapor-permeation separation membranes while a hybrid process combining distillation by the distillation column with membrane separation by the separation membrane devices including a plurality of vapor-permeation separation membranes is used and energy saving performance is maintained. Therefore, a highly concentrated and condensed component of a water-soluble organic matter is obtained. In addition, it is possible to reduce a membrane area of the vapor-permeation separation membranes in the whole separation membrane devices and to provide a technology leading to cost reduction.

A method and a device for condensing a water-soluble organic matter, which can collect a highly concentrated water-soluble organic matter, save energy, and reduce cost of the device by reducing a membrane area. According to the present invention, the permeability ratio of a vapor-permeation separation membrane disposed at least immediately before a final outlet on a non-permeation side in the separation membrane device is lower than those of the other vapor-permeation separation membranes while a hybrid process combining distillation by the distillation column with membrane separation by the separation membrane devices including a plurality of vapor-permeation separation membranes is used and energy saving performance is maintained. Therefore, a highly concentrated and condensed component of a water-soluble organic matter is obtained. In addition, it is possible to reduce a membrane area of the vapor-permeation separation membranes in the whole separation membrane devices and to provide a technology leading to cost reduction.

A method and a device for condensing a water-soluble organic matter, which can collect a highly concentrated water-soluble organic matter, save energy, and reduce cost of the device by reducing a membrane area. According to the present invention, the permeability ratio of a vapor-permeation separation membrane disposed at least immediately before a final outlet on a non-permeation side in the separation membrane device is lower than those of the other vapor-permeation separation membranes while a hybrid process combining distillation by the distillation column with membrane separation by the separation membrane devices including a plurality of vapor-permeation separation membranes is used and energy saving performance is maintained. Therefore, a highly concentrated and condensed component of a water-soluble organic matter is obtained. In addition, it is possible to reduce a membrane area of the vapor-permeation separation membranes in the whole separation membrane devices and to provide a technology leading to cost reduction.

Processes and systems for separating a mixture of three or more chemical components into multiple product streams each enriched in one of the components are provided herein. In some aspects, the present invention relates to processes for the separation of a chemical mixture including at least a heavy key component, an intermediate key component, and a light key component to form a product stream enriched in the light key component, a product stream enriched in the intermediate key component, and a product stream enriched in the heavy key component. Systems described herein may include one or more thermally coupled distillation columns including, for example, a dividing wall column, or a plurality of distillation columns arranged in a thermally integrated configuration.

Processes and systems for separating a mixture of three or more chemical components into multiple product streams each enriched in one of the components are provided herein. In some aspects, the present invention relates to processes for the separation of a chemical mixture including at least a heavy key component, an intermediate key component, and a light key component to form a product stream enriched in the light key component, a product stream enriched in the intermediate key component, and a product stream enriched in the heavy key component. Systems described herein may include one or more thermally coupled distillation columns including, for example, a dividing wall column, or a plurality of distillation columns arranged in a thermally integrated configuration.

Processes and systems for separating a mixture of three or more chemical components into multiple product streams each enriched in one of the components are provided herein. In some aspects, the present invention relates to processes for the separation of a chemical mixture including at least a heavy key component, an intermediate key component, and a light key component to form a product stream enriched in the light key component, a product stream enriched in the intermediate key component, and a product stream enriched in the heavy key component. Systems described herein may include one or more thermally coupled distillation columns including, for example, a dividing wall column, or a plurality of distillation columns arranged in a thermally integrated configuration.

The invention relates to a process for extracting alcohols from an initial mixture (1) comprising alcohols in aqueous phase, with: a distillative separation by an isopropanol-butanol distillation column (III) equipped at the top with a condenser (c3), intended for separating said mixture into a water-isopropanol azeotrope stream (6) at the top and into a water-butanol azeotrope stream (7) at the bottom, a distillative separation intended for separating the water-butanol azeotrope stream into water and butanol, by a hetero-azeotropic distillation system comprising at least one water-recovering water column (IV) and at least one butanol (9)-recovering butanol column (V) equipped with a reboiler (r5),
such that a heat transfer is performed from the top water-isopropanol azeotrope stream (6) entering the condenser of the isopropanol-butanol distillation column (III), to the stream entering the reboiler of the butanol column (V).

The invention relates to a process for extracting alcohols from an initial mixture (1) comprising alcohols in aqueous phase, with: a distillative separation by an isopropanol-butanol distillation column (III) equipped at the top with a condenser (c3), intended for separating said mixture into a water-isopropanol azeotrope stream (6) at the top and into a water-butanol azeotrope stream (7) at the bottom, a distillative separation intended for separating the water-butanol azeotrope stream into water and butanol, by a hetero-azeotropic distillation system comprising at least one water-recovering water column (IV) and at least one butanol (9)-recovering butanol column (V) equipped with a reboiler (r5),
such that a heat transfer is performed from the top water-isopropanol azeotrope stream (6) entering the condenser of the isopropanol-butanol distillation column (III), to the stream entering the reboiler of the butanol column (V).