Ethylene glycol was made using a process that is obsolete today. When it was fist made ethylene iodide was reacted with silver acetate. The result ethylene diaceate was chemically reacted with potassium hydroxide to form ethylene glycol. Later the compound was processed using different method but they were replaced by better and inexpensive methods. The compound was used to process by breakdown of ethylene oxide from reacting with water (hydrolysis) and manufactured through ethylene chlorohydrin.
Ethylene oxide is formed by chemical bonding of oxygen with ethylene in presence of air & oxidized silver catalyst. Raw ethylene glycol is formed when ethylene oxide is hydrolyzed under pressure at ratio of 10:1 water to ethylene oxide. Water from the process of hydrolysis is evaporated from the mixture and reused. Monoethylene glycol, diethylene and triethylene glycol are separated using their different boiling points under vacuum. The compounds are then collected and purified. This process is done at temperature of 195⁰C without catalyst and 50⁰C to 70⁰C without catalyst. This process also creates oligomers glycol, and tetraethylene glycol as it's by-products.
Mitsubishi chemicals company created a process that creates ethylene glycol from ethylene oxide producing minimum amount of by-product which are carbon dioxide and water. They named it OMEGA process cooperating with shells chemical. This process creates 99% ethylene glycol relatively to 90% ethylene glycol in other process.
Ethylene oxide is formed by chemical bonding of oxygen with ethylene in presence of air & oxidized silver catalyst. Raw ethylene glycol is formed when ethylene oxide is hydrolyzed under pressure at ratio of 10:1 water to ethylene oxide. Water from the process of hydrolysis is evaporated from the mixture and reused. Monoethylene glycol, diethylene and triethylene glycol are separated using their different boiling points under vacuum. The compounds are then collected and purified. This process is done at temperature of 195⁰C without catalyst and 50⁰C to 70⁰C without catalyst. This process also creates oligomers glycol, and tetraethylene glycol as it's by-products.
Mitsubishi chemicals company created a process that creates ethylene glycol from ethylene oxide producing minimum amount of by-product which are carbon dioxide and water. They named it OMEGA process cooperating with shells chemical. This process creates 99% ethylene glycol relatively to 90% ethylene glycol in other process.
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