Process and apparatus for recovery of dichlorohydrins via codistillation

1. A process for recovering dichlorohydrin(s) from a mixture comprising dichlorohydrin(s), one or more compounds selected from ester(s) of chlorohydrin(s), monochlorohydrin(s), and multihydroxylated-aliphatic hydrocarbon compound(s); water; and optionally one or more substances selected from chlorinating agent(s), catalyst(s), ester(s) of catalyst(s), and heavy byproduct(s), wherein the process comprises:

(a) providing a vapor or liquid phase mixture comprising dichlorohydrin(s), one or more compounds selected from ester(s) of chlorohydrin(s), monochlorohydrin(s), and multihydroxylated-aliphatic hydrocarbon compound(s) and ester(s) thereof; water, wherein the water present in the mixture is the water produced in a hydrochlorination reaction; and optionally one or more substances selected from chlorinating agent(s), catalyst(s), ester(s) of catalyst(s), and heavy byproduct(s);

(b) distilling or fractionating the mixture of step (a) in one or more unit operations to separate a lower boiling fraction comprising dichlorohydrin(s) and other lower boiling components from the mixture of step (a), to form a higher boiling fraction comprising the residue of the distillation or fractionation; and simultaneously introducing at least one stripping agent into contact with the higher boiling fraction; wherein the at least one stripping agent is an azeotroping agent for the dichlorohydrin(s); and wherein the at least one stripping agent contacts the higher boiling fraction and strips dichlorohydrin(s) from the higher boiling fraction into a vapor phase:

(1) to produce a lower boiling fraction enriched with dichlorohydrin(s) and the at least one stripping agent; and

(2) to lower the boiling temperature of the higher boiling fraction to minimize the formation of heavy byproducts; and

(c) recovering at least a portion of the lower boiling fraction produced in step (b).

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein step (h) is carried out at a pressure in the range from 1 kPa to 0.12 MPa; and wherein the temperature of the higher boiling fraction during step (b) is in the range from 50° C. to 139° C.

3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the stripping agent comprises steam.

4. The process according to claim wherein at least one monochlorohydrin or ester thereof is present in the mixture provided in step (a) and in the high-boiling fraction of step (b); or wherein at least one multihydroxylated-aliphatic hydrocarbon compound is present in the mixture provided in step (a) and in the high-boiling fraction of step (b).

5. The process according to claim 1 , (1) wherein the mixture provided in step (a) further comprises a catalyst for hydrochlorinating monochlorohydrin(s) and/or ester(s) thereof and/or multihydroxylated-aliphatic hydrocarbon compound(s) and/or ester(s) thereof; and wherein the catalyst is at least one carboxylic acid, at least one ester of at least one carboxylic acid, or a combination thereof, having a boiling point during step (b) greater than the boiling point of the highest boiling dichlorohydrin during step (b); or (2) wherein the catalyst (i) is a carboxylate derivative having from two to about 20 carbon atoms and containing at least one functional group selected from the group comprising an amine, an alcohol, a halogen, a sulfhydryl, an ether, an ester, or a combination thereof, wherein the functional group is attached no closer to the acid function than the alpha carbon; or a precursor thereto; (ii) is less volatile than the dichlorohydrin; and (iii) contains heteroatom substituents.

6. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the mixture provided in step (a) further comprises water; and wherein step (b) comprises:

(b1) vaporizing an azeotropic mixture of dichlorohydrin(s) and water from the mixture of step (a) to separate a lower boiling fraction comprising at least dichlorohydrin(s) and water from the mixture of step (a); and

(b2) condensing the lower boiling fraction of step (b1) to form a liquid aqueous phase and a liquid organic phase comprising dichlorohydrin(s);

(b3) introducing at least one multi-hydroxylated aliphatic hydrocarbon compound and/or ester thereof into the condensing step (b2);

(b4) separating the liquid aqueous phase of step (b2) from the liquid organic phase of step (b2); and

(b5) recycling the liquid aqueous phase of step (b3) to step (b1) and/or step (b2).

7. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the mixture provided in step (a) further comprises heavy byproducts; and wherein the amount of heavy byproducts in the higher boiling fraction of step (b) does not exceed 110 percent of the amount of heavy byproducts in the mixture provided in step (a).

8. The process according to claim 1 , wherein dichlorohydrin(s) is/are recovered from the lower boiling fraction of step (b).

9. The process according to claim 1 , including further the step of epoxidizing the lower boiling fraction recovered in step (b) to form epichlorohydrin without additional purification of the dichlorohydrin(s).

10. The process according to claim 1 , (i) wherein all of the steps of the process are carried out simultaneously with each other and the process is carried out continuously for a predetermined period of time; or (ii) wherein at least a portion of the higher boiling fraction of step (b) is recycled to the hydrochlorination step; or (iii) wherein at least 95 percent of the dichlorohydrin(s) produced during hydrochlorination is recovered in step (b).