An improved system for separating gas from a process stream by providing a stripping unit at the overhead stream of a fractionation column to selectively and effectively remove the gas using a stripping fluid without providing a dedicated light-ends separations unit. The stripper unit may be connected to the reflux drum at the overhead stream. The system for separating gas further achieves greater thermodynamic efficiency by means of a split column design using mechanical vapor recompression with the reboiler and condenser integrated in a falling-film evaporator- or thermosiphon-type vapo-condenser.

A system for stabilizing a hydrocarbon feedstock includes a High Pressure Separation (HPS) unit in fluid communication with a feedstock inlet. The HPS unit includes an oil outlet. The system includes a heated Low Pressure (LP) separator unit downstream from and in fluid communication with the oil outlet of the HPS unit. The heated LP separator unit includes an oil outlet. The system includes a heat exchanger positioned between the HPS unit and the heated LP separator unit.

A process produces sodium and/or potassium alkoxides in countercurrent by reactive rectification. Alcohol is reacted in countercurrent with the respective alkali metal hydroxide. The vapours containing alcohol and water are separated into at least two serially arranged rectification columns. The energy of the vapour obtained in the first rectification is utilized for operating the second rectification. This specific energy integration coupled with establishing a certain pressure difference in the two rectification stages makes it possible to cover a particularly large proportion of the energy required for the rectification through electricity and to save heating steam.

A process increases the concentration of normal paraffins in a feed stream comprising separating a naphtha feed stream into a normal paraffin rich stream and a non-normal paraffin rich stream. A naphtha feed stream may be separated into a normal paraffin stream and a non-normal paraffin stream. An isomerization feed stream may be taken from the non-normal paraffin stream and isomerized over an isomerization catalyst to convert non-normal paraffins to normal paraffins and produce an isomerization effluent stream. The isomerization effluent stream may be separated into a propane stream and a C4+ hydrocarbon stream optionally in a single column. The C4+ hydrocarbon stream may be recycled to the step of separating a naphtha feed stream.

The present invention relates to a plant for oligomerizing ethylene to produce oligomerized alpha-olefins, with production of a fouling by-product in the form of a deposit, said plant comprising a reaction section comprising: —a reactor (c) for two-phase gas/liquid or single-phase all-liquid oligomerization proceeding from an optional solvent, an oligomerization catalyst and ethylene, and —cooling means associated with said reactor in the form of at least one cooling circuit external to the reactor and/or in the form of a jacket of the walls of the reactor. Packings are disposed in the reaction section in order to increase the contact surface area per unit volume that is accessible to the deposition of the byproduct.

An apparatus and process for distillation of methanol which may also be used in distillation of other products, such as ethanol. The apparatus and process have the purpose of reducing the consumption of energy and of cooling water and/or electricity in a distillation process of crude intermediate products, including a pre-treatment stage, known as stabilizing stage, for the removal of the volatile components, and a concentration stage, including one or more columns for distillation.

A process for producing bis(fluorosulfonyl) imide includes providing a solution comprising fluorosulfonic acid and urea, the solution maintained at a solution temperature from about 0° C. to about 70° C.; reacting the solution in the presence of a reaction medium at a reaction temperature from 80° C. to about 170° C. to produce a product stream including bis(fluorosulfonyl) imide, ammonium fluorosulfate and the reaction medium; separating the ammonium fluorosulfate from the product stream to produce an intermediate product stream; and separating the intermediate product stream into a concentrated product stream and a first recycle stream, the concentrated product stream including a higher concentration of bis(fluorosulfonyl) imide than the first recycle stream.

A method for recovering a distillable, anhydrous methane-sulfonic acid (MSA) liquid phase from an anhydrous 2-phase gas-liquid mixture wherein the anhydrous 2-phase gas-liquid mixture is generated by sulfonating methane (CH.sub.4) with sulfur trioxide (SO.sub.3) in an MSA-forming reactor, or reactor system, according to a radical chain reaction wherein the method comprises (i) separating the gas phase from the liquid phase, (ii) passing the separated liquid phase into a stripping column, and (iii) recovering the stripped anhydrous liquid phase.

The invention relates to a process for the continuous production of acrylic acid, in the absence of organic solvent and in the absence of chemical treatment of the aldehydes, and without employing a dividing-wall column, from a gaseous reaction mixture comprising acrylic acid obtained by gas-phase oxidation of a precursor of acrylic acid.

Provided is a method for purifying a waste solvent by removing carbon dioxide contained in a waste solvent derived from supercritical waste liquid generated after supercritical drying by a decompression process, and removing ammonia by a multi-stage distillation process to obtain a solvent of high purity, which can be reused in producing silica aerogel or a silica aerogel blanket.