In a process for the epoxidation of propene, comprising the steps: reacting propene with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of a titanium silicalite catalyst and a methanol solvent; separating non-reacted propene and propene oxide from the resulting reaction mixture to provide a solvent mixture comprising methanol and water in a combined amount of at least 90% by weight; and feeding this solvent mixture as a feed stream to a continuously operated methanol distillation column at a feed point in the middle section of said column to provide an overhead product comprising at least 90% by weight methanol and a bottoms product comprising at least 90% by weight water; the addition of a liquid defoamer, having a solubility in the feed stream of less than 10 mg/kg at 25 C. and a surface tension at the liquid air interface of less than 22 mN/m at 20 C., at or above the feed point in an amount exceeding the solubility of the liquid defoamer in the feed stream suppresses foam formation in the methanol distillation column.

Described herein are systems and methods of fouling mitigation in a hydrocarbon fractionation column. The methods correlate operating parameters of the fractionation column, specifically flow rate and temperature, with fouling. The methods can include measuring a temperature and a flow rate at a bottom stream of the hydrocarbon fractionation column; providing the measured temperature and flow rate to a processing device; determining, by the processing device, based on the measured temperature and flow rate of the bottom stream, an antifoulant treatment protocol for the hydrocarbon fractionation column; and treating the hydrocarbon fractionation column by controlling, by the processing device, a feed control unit in accordance with the determined antifoulant treatment protocol.

The present disclosure relates to systems and/or methods for enabling a reflux process in one or more distillation columns. For example, various embodiments described herein can relate to a method that can utilize the column's feed stream to provide an internal reflux mechanism in the top portion of the distillation column. For instance, the method can include capturing overhead vapor from a distillation column. Additionally, the method can include comingling the overhead vapor with a feed stream. Further, the method can include partially condensing the feed stream to form a liquid hydrocarbon feed stream that is supplied to a top portion of the distillation column. In one or more embodiments, the comingling can incorporate reflux functionality into the liquid hydrocarbon feed stream to promote a rectification process in the top portion of the distillation column.

Disclosed is a method for separating a plurality of chemical components from a chemical mixture comprising a plurality of fluorinated fluids, the method comprising: a step of identifying, in the chemical mixture, at least two sub-mixtures, each complex sub-mixture being associated either with a first group for secondary pressure swing distillation or with a second group (G2) for secondary extractive distillation, a step of primary distillation, using a main column, so as to separate each identified sub-mixture, a secondary distillation step, using the same advanced unit of two auxiliary columns, for distilling each complex sub-mixture, the complex sub-mixtures of the first group being separated by the pressure swing distillation method and the complex sub-mixtures of the second group being separated by the extractive distillation method.

The present disclosure relates generally to processes and apparatuses for separating an effluent in an acetic acid production unit. Accordingly, one aspect of the disclosure provides a process including introducing a feed stream comprising acetic acid and water into a distillation column through a feed inlet, separating the feed stream to form a water-rich first fraction and an acetic acid-rich second fraction, measuring an internal temperature and an internal pressure of the column at positions between a first outlet and a second outlet of the column, determining a corrected temperature of the column based on the measured internal pressure and internal temperature of the column, adjusting a heating rate of a heat source in thermal communication with a bottom section of the column if the corrected temperature differs from a target value, and then withdrawing at least a portion of the separated acetic acid-rich second fraction, the fraction comprising 500-1,500 ppm water by weight (ppmw).

Embodiments of systems and methods for enhancing control of a distillation operation are disclosed. The method includes obtaining data for a plurality of ongoing and continuous distillation operations from one or more of (a) a plurality of sensors or (b) a plurality of analyzers configured to analyze fluid output via the distillation operations. The method may include determining one or more parameters for each one or more of one or more distillation columns or distillation control devices based on application of the data to a machine learning model. The method may include in response to determination of the one or more parameters, operating each of the one or more distillation columns or distillation control devices based on the one or more parameters, thereby to enhance operation of the one or more distillation column.

An automated distillation system includes a distillation process under vacuum, a sampling device for extracting a vapor sample of distillate, a gas analyzer for measuring a property of the vapor sample, and a controller for analyzing the property and appropriately adjusting one or more parameters of the system, such as a level of vacuum, in response to the analysis.

Embodiments of systems and methods for enhancing control of a distillation operation are disclosed. The method includes obtaining data for a plurality of ongoing and continuous distillation operations from one or more of (a) a plurality of sensors or (b) a plurality of analyzers configured to analyze fluid output via the distillation operations. The method may include determining one or more parameters for each one or more of one or more distillation columns or distillation control devices based on application of the data to a machine learning model. The method may include in response to determination of the one or more parameters, operating each of the one or more distillation columns or distillation control devices based on the one or more parameters, thereby to enhance operation of the one or more distillation column.

Refinery apparatus including a distillation column partitioned into a first and second region with a partition wall therebetween in a bottom region thereof, the distillation column including a feed supply port at one side of a middle region, a first outlet provided below the first region, a second outlet provided below the second region and connected to one side of a reboiler, and a reflux inlet provided above the second region and connected to the other side of the reboiler, and a plurality of trays arranged vertically apart from the partition wall provided in the middle region, where one end of a lowest tray among the plurality of trays is opened so as not to contact a side of the distillation column on the first region, and a guide baffle extends downward from one end of the lowest tray to be adjacent to a bottom of the distillation column.

Embodiments of systems and methods for enhancing control of a distillation operation are disclosed. The method includes obtaining data for a plurality of ongoing and continuous distillation operations from one or more of (a) a plurality of sensors or (b) a plurality of analyzers configured to analyze fluid output via the distillation operations. The method may include determining one or more parameters for each one or more of one or more distillation columns or distillation control devices based on application of the data to a machine learning model. The method may include in response to determination of the one or more parameters, operating each of the one or more distillation columns or distillation control devices based on the one or more parameters, thereby to enhance operation of the one or more distillation column.