PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The Client uses distillation to purify an added value product. One of the impurity is an odorous molecule that causes two limitations:

• the product can not be supplied for specific application because of the smell given to the product by the odorous impurity,
• in order to limit the quantity of odorous impurity in the product, the yield of purification has to remain low.

The Client asks to Processium to identify a technical solution to retain the odorous impurity  in the bottom of the distillation column.

OUR METHODOLOGY

To be able to propose technical solutions, Processium developed the following methodology:

• identification of a technical solution (bibliography, internal know-how),
• screening of existing activated carbons using in-house database including exhaustive data on possible suppliers,
• development of a design of experiments to minimize experimental work (amount of carbon, number of batches, temperature),
• experimental trials conducted on several activated carbons under different conditions according to the developed design of experiments,
• sizing of industrial unit operation.

RESULTS

Processium issued a recommendation report describing the selected technology and corresponding operating conditions. In addition to the removal of odorous impurity for the product, distillation yield was improved (25% increase of productivity).