IMPROVED SOLVENT FOR RECOVERY OF MALEIC ANHYDRIDE FROM A GAS STREAM

摘要

A process is described for producing crude maleic anhydride from a reactor effluent stream containing maleic anhydride. The reactor effluent stream is contacted with a solvent having a normal boiling point between about 250°C and about 350°C, solubility of fumaric acid at least about 0.06 wt% at 60°C, solubility of maleic anhydride at least about 10 wt% at 60°C, solubility in water no higher than about 100 mg/L, density different from the density of water by at least about 0.020 g/mL, and water soluble hydrolysis products with molecular weight no higher than the molecular weight of pentanol. The solvent may be non-cyclic, non-aromatic, linear, and/or branched, and may have the general structure R1COOR2COOR3, wherein R1 and R3 are each linear or branched C3 to C5 groups and R2 is a linear or branched C3 to C8 group.