Inventors:
John A. Adams - Escondido CA
Gerald A. Krulik - San Clemente CA
Christopher Blatt - La Costa CA
David Persichini - Oceanside CA
Assignee:
Athens Corporation - Oceanside CA
International Classification:
B01D 300
Abstract:
A method for the on-site reprocessing of isopropyl alcohol used in semiconductor manufacturing, to generate an ultradry and ultrapure isopropyl alcohol. This ultradry and ultrapure isopropyl alcohol is produced through a pervaporation step, followed by double distillation. In the first distillation step, an autonomous azeotropic self-stripping distillation column is used to produce an ultradry and partially purified isopropyl alcohol. In the next step, the isopropyl alcohol is distilled in an overhead product distillation column, to produce an ultrapure and ultradry isopropyl alcohol. Alternatively, if the feed isopropyl alcohol contains less than 2000 ppm water, the pervaporation step may be omitted. The resulting isopropyl alcohol has between a high of 100 parts per million (ppm) and a low of 0. 1 ppm of water in the isopropyl alcohol.