Maleic anhydride recovery

Maleic anhydride, is from crude or impure maleic anhydride and particularly a crude maleic
anhydride containing colour body impure ties and associated compounds. The separation and recovery
of maleic anhydride from the products of oxidation is the presence of color bodies which are
tenacious in their association with the maleic anhydride. The ditliculties in the recovery of pure
maleic anhydride from the oxidation products are greatly accentuated where the maleic anhydride is a
secondary or by-product such as in the production of phthalic anhydride by catalytic oxidation of
ortho xylene or naphthalene.
Maleic anhydride can be recovered effectively from gaseous mixture with containing the
maleic anhydride by contacting said gaseous mixture with dialkyl phthalate having from 4 to 8 carbon
atoms in each alkyl group and a total of from 10 to 14 carbon atoms in the two alkyl groups.Beside
this, dialkyl phthalate need to be in liquid phase and above the dew point of water. For gaseous maleic
anhydride-water mixtures produced by the vapor phase oxidation of hydrocarbons, the dew point is
usually below about 55 C
Now it has been found that maleic anhydride can be effectively recovered from a gaseous
mixture containing the maleic anhydride by contacting said gaseous mixture with dialkyl phthalate
having from 4 to 8 carbon atoms in each alkyl group and a total of from 10 to 14 carbon atoms in the
two alkyl groups, while maintaining said dialkyl phthalate in the liquid phase and above the dew point
of water. The dew point of water varies with pressure and concentration of water in the gas phase.
This value may be calculated by well-known methods. For gaseous maleic anhydride-water mixtures
produced by the vapor phase oxidation of hydrocarbons, the dew point is usually below about 55C.
Moreover,only few dialkyl phthalate esters have both the desired solubility for maleic
anhydride. The low vapour pressure of esters need to be used in high temperature gas scrubbers to
prevent loss and also to prevent losses when distilling off the lower boiling maleic anhydride in
subsequent purification. These satisfactory esters are those having 4 to 8 carbon atoms in each alkyl
group and a total of ID to l4 carbon atoms in the two alkyl groups.