GB590713A - Improvements in and relating to the separation of alkylamines - Google Patents

Abstract

<PICT:0590713/III/1> Mixtures of triethylamine, ethanol and water are concentrated with respect to triethylamine by contacting the vapour mixture in a distillation column with water. The concentrated mixture, removed as vapour from the head of the column, should contain less than 2 per cent. ethanol; while aqueous ethanol is withdrawn at the base. Pure triethylamine is obtained by warming the condensed distillate to 60 DEG -70 DEG C. and submitting the triethylamine-rich layer, which thereby separates, to distillation. The process may be operated continuously by feeding the vapour mixture to be treated into column A to the head of which the water-rich layer from decanter C is introduced through pipe f. The vapours from column A are condensed, part of the condensate being returned to the column, through line b, as reflux and the remainder being heated in heater H and then passed to decanter C where separation into two layers occurs. The upper, triethylamine-rich layer, is fed through line d, into column D from the base of which pure triethylamine is withdrawn. The aqueous distillate from column D is condensed and mixed with that part of the condensate from column A which is flowing to the heater and decanter. Additional water may be introduced into the system through line l if required. The process can be simplified by maintaining the condensers at the temperature required for efficient phase separation. The decanter may be replaced by a packed extraction column. Specification 304,756, [Class 32], is referred to.