PURPOSE: To remove minor inorganic salts mixed in an alcohol during the transportation with a ship economically to almost the same extent as an aqueous system, by using an ion exchange resin in the presence of a very small amount of water.
CONSTITUTION: Minor inorganic salts, e.g.KCl, KNO3 or Na2SO4, in a lower alcohol, e.g. methanol or ethanol, are removed to a concentration ≤0.1ppm by using an ion exchange resin, e.g. a mixture of a strongly acidic with a strongly basic ion exchagne resins at a volume ratio of 1:(1W3) in the presence of ≤50ppm, preferably 2W10ppm, water. The very small amount of water contained in the alcohol facilitates the treatment thereof. The trouble in the preparation of an aldehyde, etc. and the cause of the corrosion in a storage tank can be prevented by removing the inorganic salts.
GOISHI TOSHIO
MIYAMOTO KATSUYOSHI
