Appeal No. 2002-0404
Application No. 08/859,143
acrylic acid-containing feedstock with a butanol-
containing feedstock to produce a butyl acrylate-
containing product stream comprising butyl acrylate,
dibutyl ether, butyl acetate, heavies and butanol;
b. introducing said product stream into a
splitter distillation column to provide an overhead
fraction comprising dibutyl ether, butyl acetate,
butyl acrylate and butanol and a bottoms fraction
comprising butyl acrylate and heavies;
c. withdrawing from the splitter distillation
column the bottoms fraction;
d. separating heavies from said bottom fraction
by introducing the bottoms fraction into a butyl
acrylate distillation column to provide an overhead
product containing butyl acrylate and a bottom product
containing heavies;
e. withdrawing from the splitter distillation
column the overhead fraction; and
f. introducing the overhead fraction into a
butanol recovery distillation column to provide an
overhead stream comprising dibutyl ether and butyl
acetate and a bottoms stream comprising butanol;
g. withdrawing from the butanol recovery
distillation column the bottoms stream; and
h. supplying at least a portion of the bottom
stream to said at least one reaction zone.
11. At least ten thousand pounds (avoir) of a
butyl acrylate product comprising at least 99.8wt%
butyl acrylate and containing not more than about 200
ppm butyl ether and not more than about 200 ppm butyl
acetate.
The examiner relies on the following prior art references
as evidence of unpatentability:
Erpenbach et al. 4,280,010 Jul. 21, 1981
(Erpenbach)
Dougherty et al. 4,814,493 Mar. 21, 1989
(Dougherty)
Aldrich: Catalog Handbook of Fine Chemicals 256 (Date
Uncertain)(Aldrich).
3
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007