Continuous production of trimethylolethane

Claim 2

PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF TRIMETHYLOETHANE WHICH COMPRISES CONTINUOUSLY REACTING, IN AN AQUEOUS MEDIUM, A MIXTURE OF PROPIONALDEHYDE, 5 TO 15 MOLES OF FORMALDEHYDE PER MOLE OF PROPIONALDEHYDE AND SODIUM HYDROXIDE, TO PRODUCE TRIMETHYLOLETHANE AND SODIUM FORMATE, CONTINUOUSLY REDUCING THE PH OF THE REACTED MIXTURE THEN CONTINUOUSLY REMOVING UNREACTED FORMALDEHYDE BY DISTILLATION OF THE MIXTURE UNDER SUPERATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE, AND THERAFTER ISOLATING CRYSTALS COMPRISING TRIMETHYLOIETHANE FROM THE MIXTURE.

Claim 3

PROCESS FOR THE ISOLATION OF TRIMETHYLOLETHANE FROM A WATER SOLUTION OF TRIMETHYLOETHANE AND SODIUM FORMATE, WHICH COMPRISES ADDING TO SAID SOLUTION A LOWER ALIPHATIC ALCOHOL AS SOLVENT FOR SAID TRIMETHYLOLETHANE, WHICH SOLVENT IS A NON-SOLVENT FOR SODIUM FORMATE, TO FORM A MULTIPHASE MIXTURE COMPRISING A LIQUID AQUEOUS PHASE CONTAINING WATER AND MOST OF THE DISSOLVED SODIUM FORMATE AND A LIQUID ORGANIC SOLVENT PHASE CONTAINING SAID SOLVENT AND MOST OF THE TRIMETHYLOLETHANE, AND SEPARATING SAID ORGANIC SOLVENT PHASE FROM SAID AQUEOUS PHASE.

Claim 4

PROCESS FOR THE ISOLATION OF TRIMETHYLOLETHANE FROM A WATER SOLUTION OF TRIMETHYLOETHANE AND SODIUM FORMATE, WHICH COMPRISES ADDING TO SAID SOLUTION A LOWER ALIPHATIC ALCOHOL AS SOLVENT FOR SAID TRIMETHYLOLETHANE, WHICH SOLVENT IS A NON-SOLVENT FOR SODIUM FORMATE, TO FORM A MULTIPHASE MIXTURE COMPRISING A LIQUID AQUEOUS PHASE CONTAINING WATER AND MOST OF THE DISSOLVED SODIUM FORMATE AND A LIQUID ORGANIC SOLVENT PHASE CONTAINING SAID SOLVENT AND MOST OF THE TRIMETHYLOLETHANE, AND SEPARATING SAID ORGANIC SOLVENT PHASE FROM SAID AQUEOUS PHASE.