The invention provides a process for the separation of a diol from a product stream. The process includes the steps of: i) separating the product stream comprising three or more C2 to C6 diols, C3 to C6 sugar alcohols, and C4 to C6 polyhydric alcohols with at least 3 hydroxyl groups in the molecule, and a catalyst, to produce a first stream comprising the three or more C2 to C6 diols; ii) separating the first stream comprising the three or more C2 to C6 diols into a) a second stream comprising a first diol and unsaturated hydrocarbons and/or one or more compounds with a carbonyl group and b) a third stream comprising two or more diols; iii) hydrogenating the second stream comprising a first diol and unsaturated hydrocarbons and/or one or more compounds with a carbonyl group to provide a purified diol stream.

The invention provides a process for the separation of a diol from a product stream. The process includes the steps of: i) separating the product stream comprising three or more C2 to C6 diols, C3 to C6 sugar alcohols, and C4 to C6 polyhydric alcohols with at least 3 hydroxyl groups in the molecule, and a catalyst, to produce a first stream comprising the three or more C2 to C6 diols; ii) separating the first stream comprising the three or more C2 to C6 diols into a) a second stream comprising a first diol and unsaturated hydrocarbons and/or one or more compounds with a carbonyl group and b) a third stream comprising two or more diols; iii) hydrogenating the second stream comprising a first diol and unsaturated hydrocarbons and/or one or more compounds with a carbonyl group to provide a purified diol stream.

The invention provides a process for the separation of a diol from a product stream. The process includes the steps of: i) separating the product stream comprising three or more C2 to C6 diols, C3 to C6 sugar alcohols, and C4 to C6 polyhydric alcohols with at least 3 hydroxyl groups in the molecule, and a catalyst, to produce a first stream comprising the three or more C2 to C6 diols; ii) separating the first stream comprising the three or more C2 to C6 diols into a) a second stream comprising a first diol and unsaturated hydrocarbons and/or one or more compounds with a carbonyl group and b) a third stream comprising two or more diols; iii) hydrogenating the second stream comprising a first diol and unsaturated hydrocarbons and/or one or more compounds with a carbonyl group to provide a purified diol stream.

The disclosure is directed to a method for recovering products from a fermentation broth. The disclosure relates to the use of dehydration to recover products which have close boiling points, such as ethanol and isopropanol, from a fermentation broth. In an embodiment, the recovery of product is completed in a manner that minimizes stress on the microbial biomass present in the fermentation broth, such that it remains viable, at least in part, and may be recycled and reused in the fermentation process, which may result in increased efficiency in the fermentation process. The dehydration reactor may be used downstream of a distillation vessel and converts products such as ethanol and isopropanol into ethylene and propylene. The ethylene and propylene can be used to prepare a component of a fuel or can be polymerized. To minimize stress on the microbial biomass the distillation vessel may be under vacuum.

The disclosure is directed to a method for recovering products from a fermentation broth. The disclosure relates to the use of dehydration to recover products which have close boiling points, such as ethanol and isopropanol, from a fermentation broth. In an embodiment, the recovery of product is completed in a manner that minimizes stress on the microbial biomass present in the fermentation broth, such that it remains viable, at least in part, and may be recycled and reused in the fermentation process, which may result in increased efficiency in the fermentation process. The dehydration reactor may be used downstream of a distillation vessel and converts products such as ethanol and isopropanol into ethylene and propylene. The ethylene and propylene can be used to prepare a component of a fuel or can be polymerized. To minimize stress on the microbial biomass the distillation vessel may be under vacuum.

The disclosure is directed to a method for recovering products from a fermentation broth. The disclosure relates to the use of dehydration to recover products which have close boiling points, such as ethanol and isopropanol, from a fermentation broth. In an embodiment, the recovery of product is completed in a manner that minimizes stress on the microbial biomass present in the fermentation broth, such that it remains viable, at least in part, and may be recycled and reused in the fermentation process, which may result in increased efficiency in the fermentation process. The dehydration reactor may be used downstream of a distillation vessel and converts products such as ethanol and isopropanol into ethylene and propylene. The ethylene and propylene can be used to prepare a component of a fuel or can be polymerized. To minimize stress on the microbial biomass the distillation vessel may be under vacuum.

The disclosure is directed to an apparatus and method for recovering ethanol from a fermentation broth. The fermentation broth comprises microbial biomass, ethanol, methanol, ethyl acetate, at least one thiol, and at least one compound having 3 or more carbon atoms. The method comprises separating at least microbial biomass from the fermentation broth to generate a process stream; removing, in any order, from the process stream: ethyl acetate by reacting ethyl acetate with a base compound followed by distillation; at least one thiol by adsorption or reaction to disulfide; methanol by distillation; compounds having 3 or more carbon atoms by distillation; and recovering ethanol by distillation; wherein the distillations may be conducted in a single column or two or more columns.

The disclosure is directed to an apparatus and method for recovering ethanol from a fermentation broth. The fermentation broth comprises microbial biomass, ethanol, methanol, ethyl acetate, at least one thiol, and at least one compound having 3 or more carbon atoms. The method comprises separating at least microbial biomass from the fermentation broth to generate a process stream; removing, in any order, from the process stream: ethyl acetate by reacting ethyl acetate with a base compound followed by distillation; at least one thiol by adsorption or reaction to disulfide; methanol by distillation; compounds having 3 or more carbon atoms by distillation; and recovering ethanol by distillation; wherein the distillations may be conducted in a single column or two or more columns.

Provided is a method capable of yielding high-purity 1,3-butylene glycol having a very low content of a high boiling point component and a low dry point, with a high recovery ratio. A method for producing 1,3-butylene glycol to yield purified 1,3-butylene glycol from a reaction crude liquid containing 1,3-butylene glycol, in which, in a high boiling point component removal column for use in the removing a high boiling point component, a charged liquid containing 1,3 -butylene glycol is distilled under conditions that (i) a reflux ratio is greater than 0.02 in a case where a concentration of 1,3-butylene glycol in the charged liquid is 95% or less, or a reflux ratio is greater than 0.01 in a case where the concentration of 1,3-butylene glycol in the charged liquid is greater than 95%, and (ii) a bottom ratio of less than 30 wt. %, high-purity 1,3-butylene glycol is distilled off from above a charging plate, and a liquid in which a high boiling point component is concentrated is extracted from below the charging plate.

A process for preparing 1,2-propanediol involves dehydrogenating propane to provide a product stream containing propane, propene, and hydrogen; and separating the product stream into a stream containing essentially hydrogen, a stream enriched in propane, and a stream enriched in propene. The process then involves reacting the stream containing essentially hydrogen with oxygen to provide a stream containing hydrogen peroxide; and reacting the stream enriched in propene with the stream containing hydrogen peroxide in the presence of a catalyst mixture, containing a phase transfer catalyst and a heteropolytungstate, in a reaction mixture with two liquid phases. The process further involves separating the reaction mixture of the propene oxidation into an aqueous phase and an organic phase, recycling the organic phase to the propene oxidation, and separating 1,2-propanediol from the aqueous phase.