Process for recovering oxygenated organic compounds from dilute aqueous solutions employing solid sorbent

Claim 2

A process for recovering an oxygenated organic compound from a dilute aqueous solution thereof which comprises contacting said dilute aqueous solution with crosslinked polyvinylpyridine resin or nuclear substituted derivative thereof under such conditions that at least a portion of the compound will be sorbed by said resin and thereafter desorbing the compound from said resin.

Claim 3

The process of claim 1 wherein the oxygenated organic compound comprises alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, ethers, acids and esters.

Claim 4

The process of claim 2 wherein the oxygenated organic compound is selected from the group consisting of acetone, acetic acid, butyric acid, n-propanol and n-butanol.

Claim 5

The process of claim 1 wherein the crosslinked polyvinylpyridine is crosslinked poly(4-vinylpyridine).

Claim 6

The process of claim 1 further comprising the step of desorbing the compound employing an inert gas.

Claim 7

The process of claim 5 wherein the inert gas is carbon dioxide.

Claim 8

The process of claim 1 wherein the process is carried out at elevated temperature thereby increasing relative adsorption of crosslinked polyvinylpyridine for the oxygenated organic compound.

Claim 9

The process of claim 7 wherein the crosslinked polyvinylpyridine is crosslinked poly(4-vinylpyridine).

Claim 10

A process for recovering an oxygenated organic compound from a fermentation vessel at a concentration which is higher than the concentration of the compound in the fermentation medium which comprises: (a) contacting the fermentation compound present in the dilute aqueous stream from the fermentation vessel with crosslinked polyvinylpyridine resin or nuclear substituted derivative thereof to sorb a percentage of the compound present in said stream; (b) employing the aqueous stream which has been contacted with the resin to adsorb compound present in the gaseous carbon dioxide stream produced in the fermentation vessel in an adsorption zone; (c) combining the dilute aqueous compound stream resulting from step (b) with the fermentation compound stream of step (a); and, (d) desorbing compound sorbed in step (a) with substantially compound-free carbon dioxide obtained from the adsorption zone of step (b).

Claim 11

A process for recovering an oxygenated organic compound from a fermentation vessel at a concentration which is higher than the concentration of the compound in the fermentation medium which comprises: (a) contacting the fermentation compound present in the dilute aqueous stream from the fermentation vessel with crosslinked polyvinylpyridine resin or nuclear substituted derivative thereof to sorb a percentage of the compound present in said stream; (b) employing the aqueous stream which has been contacted with the resin to adsorb compound present in the gaseous carbon dioxide stream produced in the fermentation vessel in an adsorption zone; (c) combining the dilute aqueous compound stream resulting from step (b) with the fermentation compound stream of step (a); and, (d) desorbing compound sorbed in step (a) with substantially compound-free carbon dioxide obtained from the adsorption zone of step (b).