Appeal 2007-0125
Application 10/447,227
I. APPEALED SUBJECT MATTER
The subject matter on appeal is directed to a process for cleaning an
apparatus in which:
(meth)acrylic acid-containing organic solvents have been
treated and/or generated and contain fouling and/or polymer
formed in an undesired manner and residues of the organic
solvent (Specification 1, ll. 5-10).
Details of the cleaning process are recited in representative claim 1 which is
reproduced below:
1. A process for cleaning apparatus in which (meth)acrylic acid-
containing organic solvents have either been treated, generated, or both
treated and generated, wherein said apparatus contains residues of the
organic solvent and at least one of polymers and fouling products formed by
a method of making (meth)acrylic acid, which process comprises subjecting
the apparatus contents to a stream distillation in the apparatus thereby
forming a vapor phase, condensing the vapor phase removed from the
apparatus and separating the resulting condensate into an aqueous and an
organic phase, the organic phase comprising residues of the organic solvent.
According to page 7 of the Specification:
A steam distillation of the contents of the apparatus refers to
any process in which, on the one hand, steam is generated in the
apparatus to be cleaned and/or steam is fed to the apparatus to
be cleaned and, on the other hand, vapor phase is withdrawn
from the apparatus to be cleaned.
2
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next
Last modified: September 9, 2013