Fractional condensation method of methanethiol recovery from reaction mixtures thereof

Claim 1

IN A CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF METHANETHIOL WHEREIN METHANOL AND HYDROGEN SULFIDE ARE REACTED AT AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE IN A REACTION ZONE IN THE PRESENCE OF A CATALYST CAPABLE OF SPLITTING OFF WATER TO PRODUCE A REACTION EFFLUENT CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF WATER, METHANOL, 2-THIAPROPANE, METHANETHIOL, AND HYDROGEN SULFIDE, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES FRACTIONALLY CONDENSING SAID EFFLUENT IN A PRODUCT RECOVERY PROCESS MAINTAINED AT A SUITABLE SUPERATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE NOT IN EXCESS OF ABOUT 1500 P. S. I. A. TO OBVIATE THE NEED FOR MECHANICAL REFRIGERATION IN SAID RECOVERY PROCESS AND PERMIT THE USE OF COOLING WATER AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 60*-100*F. FOR COOLING AND FRACTIONALLY CONDENSING THE SEVERAL CONSTITUENTS OF THE REACTION EFFLUENT, SAID PROCESS COMPRISING INTRODUCING SAID EFFLUENT INTO A FIRST FRACTIONAL CONDENSATION ZONE, FRACTIONALLY CONDENSING SAID EFFLUENT AT A SUITABLE ELEVATED PRESSURE WITH COOLING WATER AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 60*-100*F. TO PRODUCE FIRST LIQUID, PHASE CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF WATER AND METHANOL, AND A FIRST GASEOUS PHASE CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF 2-THIAPROPANE, METHANETHIOL AND HYDROGEN SULFIDE AND STABILIZING SAID LIQUID AND GASEOUS PHASES TO PRODUCE A FIRST, LIQUID, BOTTOMS FRACTION CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF WATER AND METHANOL, AND A FIRST, GASEOUS, OVERHEAD FRACTION CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF 2-THIAPROPANE, METHANETHIOL, AND HYDROGEN SULFIDE; INTODUCING SAID FIRST OVERHEAD FRACTION INTO A SECOND FRACTIONAL CONDENSATION ZONE, FRACTIONALLY CONDENSING SAID FRACTION AT A SUITABLE ELEVATED PRESSURE WITH COOLING WATER AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 60*-100*F. TO PRODUCE A SECOND LIQUID PHASE CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF 2THIAPROPANE AND A SECOND GASEOUS PHASE CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF METHANETHIOL, AND HYDROGEN SULFIDE AND STABILIZING AND LIQUID AND GASEOUS PHASE TO PRODUCE A SECONS, LIQUID BOTTOMS FRACTION CONSISING ESSENTIALLY OF 2THIAPROPANE AND SECOND, GASEOUS OVERHEAD FRACTION CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF METHANETHIOL AND HYDROGEN SULFIDE; AND INTRODUCING AND OVERHEAD FRACTION INTO A THIRD FRACTIONAL CONDENSATION ZONE, FRACTIONALLY CONDENSING AND FRACTION AT A SUITABLE ELEVATED PRESSURE WITH COOLING WATER AT A TEMPERATURE OF 60*-100*F, TO PRODUCE A THIRD LIQUID PHASE CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF METHANETHIOL, AND A THIRD GASEOUS PHASE CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF HYDROGEN SULFIDE AND STABILIZING SAID PHASES TO PRODUCE A THIRD, LIQUID, BOTTOM FRACTION CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF METHANETHIOL, AND THIRD OVERHEAD PRODUCT CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF HYDROGEN. SULFIDE.