The present invention related to a column for the thermal treatment of a mixture of compounds having a tendency to polymerization, as well as a thermal separating process using the column. The column includes a mass transfer tray having a rising tube with an inlet opening below the tray and an outlet opening above the tray. The rising tube further includes a lateral opening above and close to the upper surface of the mass transfer tray. The rising tube forms a fountain spray of atomized liquid from the mixture of compounds above the tray that enter the rising tube through the lateral opening. The fountain is sprayed to a spot of the inner surface of the column where polymerization is likely to occur.

A process for the preparation of ethylene glycol comprising the steps of: a) supplying a first gas composition comprising ethylene oxide and carbon dioxide to an ethylene oxide absorber and allowing the gas composition to pass upwards through an absorption section; b) supplying a lean absorbent to the top of the absorption section and allowing the lean absorbent to pass downwards through the absorption section; c) intimately contacting the gas composition with lean absorbent on the trays in the absorption section in the presence of one or more catalysts to produce a fat absorbent stream comprising ethylene glycol and ethylene carbonate; d) withdrawing fat absorbent from the absorber; and e) withdrawing a second gas composition from the top of the absorber.

The present disclosure relates generally to processes for separating an effluent in an acetic acid production unit. Accordingly, one aspect of the disclosure provides a process including transferring at least a portion of a carbonylation reaction effluent to the bottom section of a tank, evaporating at least a portion of the effluent to form a vapour fraction, spraying a spray liquid onto a porous demister surface of a demister section of the tank, collecting and returning a liquid fraction of the effluent from at least one chimney tray in the tank to a fractionation section or the bottom section of the tank, and withdrawing from a top section of the tank at least a portion of the vapour fraction, the vapour fraction comprising acetic acid, the vapour fraction having been passed from the bottom section through the fractionation section, and then through one or more chimneys of the at least one chimney tray, and then through the spray section, and then through the porous demister surface of the demister section.

The present disclosure relates generally to processes for separating an effluent in an acetic acid production unit. Accordingly, one aspect of the disclosure provides a process including transferring at least a portion of a carbonylation reaction effluent to the bottom section of a tank, evaporating at least a portion of the effluent to form a vapour fraction, spraying a spray liquid onto a porous demister surface of a demister section of the tank, collecting and returning a liquid fraction of the effluent from at least one chimney tray in the tank to a fractionation section or the bottom section of the tank, and withdrawing from a top section of the tank at least a portion of the vapour fraction, the vapour fraction comprising acetic acid, the vapour fraction having been passed from the bottom section through the fractionation section, and then through one or more chimneys of the at least one chimney tray, and then through the spray section, and then through the porous demister surface of the demister section.