Reason analysis and solutions for the poor water solubility of methanol?
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Dear teachers and colleagues, let’s discuss the factors affecting the poor water solubility of pure methanol in the distillation section of the monohydric alcohol production system, as well as the corresponding countermeasures I thank you from here, little sister!
There are two situations where water solubility is poor: one is caused by light components, and the other is caused by heavy components. The light components are mainly due to inadequate pre-column treatment, which causes them to enter the main column, while the heavy components result from high temperatures at the column bottom and low reflux flow. Solutions can be found for different situations. Additionally, poor quality of the synthetic crude methanol can also lead to unsatisfactory water solubility; this issue can be addressed by changing the feed location and removing fusel oils through side streams. I’m not sure what exactly is causing the problem in your factory; only by providing your operating parameters can a specific analysis be carried out
Reply to 3# Yunkuang High-Tech Chemicals: It is closely related to polyols; in addition, it is necessary to check whether the catalyst has been damaged and some of it has entered into methanol.
In fact, today’s failure in water solubility tests is not simply a matter of light and heavy components. After pre-tower* boiling, water is added to remove the alkane oil; some alkane oils also have high boiling points. As for fusel oils, our plant can keep the ethanol level below 10PPM, but the water solubility cannot reach 1+3; it can only achieve 1+9. Experiments show that the amount of C9–C14 in the finished product exceeds 15PPM, making it difficult for it to be water-soluble. Our factory can only conduct qualitative analysis to confirm the presence of these substances; it is not possible to determine their quantitative amount. Some people say that removing these substances is very difficult and costly. Because they are almost at the upper part of the distillation section, the cost is significant. In the end, those manufacturers with strict requirements for the final product opted, as a second choice, for reputable catalyst manufacturers. Solve its emergence at the source.
If the water solubility requirement isn’t met, can we adjust the ratio of light and heavy components in the distillation section? The main thing is to add some extraction water; also, was the amount of alkali adjusted as well? For reference only
I think what #6 said is very correct; the extraction water is also one of the key factors that have an impact. Here, we keep it between 21 and 22, and the results are good