REMOVAL OF A SMALL AMOUNT OF WATER IN ACETONE BY AZEOTROPIC DISTILLATION EMPLOYING ETHYLBROMIDE AS SEPARATING AGENT

Abstract

The rapid growth of the petrochemical industry leads to a demand for highpurity acetone. However, removal of a small amount of water in acetone to less than 1400 ppm by ordinary distillation is a difficult problem. After investigation of removal of micro water in acetone, it has been found that azeotropic distillation employing ethylbromide as separating agent is effective. As basic data for the design of an azeotropic tower, the following physical properties have been measured.
1) Vapor-liquid equilibrium of the binary systems ethylbromide-water at 760mm of Hg in the region of ethylbromide-rich side and ethylbromide-acetone at 760 mm of Hg.
2) Solubility of water in ethylbromide at 0, 10, 20, 30, 34.7°C.
Using ethylbromide as separating agent, azeotropic batch distillations have been carried out through a packed tower. As a result, it has been found that micro water in the feedstock can be reduced to less than 200 ppm.