PROCESS FOR THE WORKING-UP OF A VITAMIN E- AND VITAMIN E-ACETATE AND RECTIFICATION COLUM SUITABLE THEREFORE

摘要

The invention relates to a process for the working-up of a vitamin E (VE)- and/or vitamin E acetate (VEA)-containing product stream, which is substantially characterized by purification of a vitamin E-containing product stream, acetylation of at least a part of the purified vitamin E and purification of at least a part of the acetylated vitamin E, the purification of vitamin E and vitamin E acetate preferably being effected by distillation, for example rectification. A preferred process according to the invention is characterized in that a vitamin E-containing product stream is fed to a first rectification column (105), low-boiling products and unspecified isomers of vitamin E being taken off at the top (105a) of this first rectification column virtually without loss of useful substance, and a purified, vitamin E-containing stream being taken off at the side (105b) and/or at the bottom (105c) of the rectification column (105), at least a part of the side take-off or of the bottom take-off or at least a part of the side and bottom take-off is passed, for acetylation of vitamin E, into an acetylation stage (111), at least a part of the product stream emerging from the acetylation stage is passed into a second rectification column (115) or is taken off as useful product having a purity of = 92 % by weight, and in a second rectification column, the VEA useful product is obtained as a side take-off having a purity of = 97 % by weight.