PROCESS FEATURES
Epichlorohydrin is a C3 organic epoxy compound, which combines the reactivity of an epoxy group (an
oxygen bridge) with the additional reactivity of a chloro-group.
Epichlorohydrin undergoes a great variety of chemical reactions with many types of compounds. It is
the major raw material for epoxy resins, which account for up to 75% of total output.
Thanks to its inherent versatility, it is used in a wide variety of other applications, including ion
exchange resins, textiles, paper sizing, special inks and dyes, surface active agents, elastomers,
plasticizers, agricultural products, liners, pharmaceuticals and many other applications.
CONSER, besides having secured in the past decades a leading position as licensor of the conventional
epichlorohydrin process from propylene and chlorine, has recently developed and patented a new
technology route, called ECH-EF (epichlorohydrin eco-friendly), to produce epichlorohydrin using
glycerin and hydrogen chloride as raw materials.
The new ECH-EF technology shows that, thanks to the lower cost of the raw materials, to the lower
plant investment cost, to the substantial reduction of energy consumption and of the aqueous and
chlorinated by-products, it is the most effective route to produce epichlorohydrin.
REFERENCES
Company
Location
Capacity T/y
Technology
S.I.R
Italy
36000
Conventional
ALCLOR
Brasil
15000
Conventional
TECHCORP
Iraq
10000
Conventional
HYCC
S. Korea
20000
Conventional
India
10000
Conventional
SINOPEC-YUEYANG G.P.W.
China
24000
Conventional
China
30000
Conventional
China
100000
Eco - Friendly
FLOW SHEET
PROCESS DESCRIPTION
CONSER epichlorohydrin process consists of the following main steps:
Chlorohydrination of glycerin
Dehydrochlorination of dichlorohydrins
Epichlorohydrin purification
Chlohydrination of glycerin
Glycerol dichlorohydrins are produced by reaction of liquid glycerin with gaseous hydrogen chloride at
moderate temperature and pressure and by using an organic acid catalyst.
The reaction occours through a two stages patented process, the first for the production of
monochlorohydrins (MCH) and the second for the production of dichlorohydrins (DCH).
The reactor effluent enters the dichlorohydrin column, which separates under vacuum conditions DCH
on top from MCH, heavy by-products and catalyst at bottom.
Dichlorohydrins hydrolysis
Waste water is taken off from the bottom of stripper, while an organic phase, consisting od raw
epichlorohydrin, is separated overhead.
Epichlorohydrin purification