A sustainable process design to produce diethyl oxalate considering NOx elimination

作者：Zhu, Jiaxing; Hao, Lin; Sun, Yaozhou; Zhang, Bo; Bai, Wenshuai; Wei, Hongyuan^*

来源：Computers & Chemical Engineering, 2018, 115: 198-212.

DOI：10.1016/j.compchemeng.2018.04.002

• Design
• Diethyl oxalate
• NOx emission
• Contaminant handling system
• Systematical environmental analysis

Diethyl oxalate (DEO) is widely used in fine chemical industry. In comparison with traditional esterification process, carbon monoxide coupling process is a novel routine for DEO production. This environmentally friendly process provides better selectivity and yield. Its unique feature is that a closed regeneration-coupling circulation is formed. Toxic byproduct-nitric oxide (NO) from coupling reaction is recycled to re-produce ethyl nitrite through regeneration reaction. This avoids significant amount of NOx emission. However, due to a few NOx emission, a contaminant handling system is applied for environmental protection. A systematical environmental analysis is also carried out to assess this process. Regeneration-coupling circulation brings interaction behaviors and some trade-offs including reactor size and recycle flowrate, regeneration and coupling reaction, loss of reactants and NO emission. Thus, a rigorous steady simulation is established to investigate these trade-offs. Then DEO process is optimized to obtain the optimal design. Finally a more economic flowsheet to produce DEO is proposed.

• 出版日期2018-7-12
• 单位天津大学