Project Page Views: [ 812 ]
| Project Metadata Element | Details |
| Project Title | Demonstrating the feasibility to recover and reuse complex waste solvent streams Ringaskiddy |
| Research Area | Water |
| Project Acronym | |
| Principal Investigator or Lead Irish Partner | Ted Lee (IE) |
| Lead Institution or Organisation | Novartis Ringaskiddy Limited |
| Lead Country | Ireland |
| Latitude, Longitude (of Lead Institution) | 51.83382, -8.31697 |
| Lead Funding Entity | LIFE |
| Approximate Project Start Date | 02/02/1998 |
| Approximate Project Finishing Date | 02/11/1999 |
| Project Website (if any) | |
| Links to other Web-based resources | |
| Project Keywords | Solvent; Clean technology; Pharmaceutical industry; Reuse of materials |
| Project Abstract | Used solvent streams from the bulk drug production process at Novartis can be large, complex and multiphase, and are currently disposed of by incineration. This project set out to demonstrate the feasibility of developing processes and installed a recovery plant to separate multiphase used solvent streams deriving from the production of an active drug substance into their original components and purify them for reuse. The project involved the completion of the design, installation, and operational and process qualification of a new large-scale plant to separate used solvent streams using three laboratory-developed processes. It involved operating the new recovery unit with the complex used solvent streams as feed material to demonstrate that tetrahydrofuran and ethylacetate could be purified to the desired quality, throughput and yield. The three new laboratory processes were as follows: Process 1 used a continuous counter-current liquid extraction unit and two continuous vacuum pressure rectification units to recover tetrahydrofuran (THF) from hexane, heptane, isopropylalcohol, water and high boiling impurities in one used solvent stream. A small counter-current extraction column was used to extract THF from the non-polar impurities (hexane and heptane) in the aqueous phase. A two-pressure rectification system was used to separate water from THF. Process 2 used a continuous counter-current liquid extraction unit, a continuous extractive rectification unit and two vacuum rectification units to recover tetrahydrofuran and ethylacetate from methanol, ethanol, acetic acid, methylacetate, water and high boiling impurities in another used solvent stream from the process. The polar components such as methanol, ethanol and acetic acid were separated in the counter-current extraction column. The next step was a stripping column, which was used to dewater the organic light phase. The third column was a rectification column in which decane was separated from THF/ethylacetate. The fourth column was a rectification column in which THF and ethylacetate were separated at the top and bottom respectively. Process 3 used two continuous rectification units to recover ethylacetate from tetrahydrofuran, heptane, ethanol, acetic acid, water and high boiling impurities in a third stream. The first column was a dewatering column for ethylacetate which forms a two-phase azeotrope with water. An additional rectification column was added to eliminate high boilers. This project set out to demonstrate the feasibility of developing processes and installing a recovery plant to separate multiphase used solvent streams deriving from the production of an active drug substance into their original components and purify them for reuse. This would result in fewer solvents having to be produced, transported and destroyed, and would lead to a saving of resources, a reduction in environmental impact and reduced risk of an adverse incident. |