Integrated production of γ-butyrolactone through coupling of maleic anhydride hydrogenation and 1,4-butanediol dehydrogenation

Design and plantwide control of an integrated plant for the hydrogenation of maleic anhydride and the dehydrogenation of 1,4-butanediol has been studied for the synthesis of γ-butyrolactone in an adiabatic reactor, under different conditions of reaction temperatures and hydrogen to feed ratio, realizing optimal hydrogen utilization and better energy efficiency. Compared to stand-alone processes, the integrated process has several advantages, e.g., easy temperature control, improved γ-butyrolactone yield, good energy efficiency and optimal hydrogen utilization. The stability and robustness of the process is checked by rigorous dynamic simulation in AspenDynamics.