High-Gravity Distillation Acetonitrile Solvent Recovery Project Case Study

Acetonitrile is a medium-boiling polar solvent with dissolving capacity and chemical stability, widely used in peptide synthesis and purification, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), pharmaceutical intermediate extraction, and fine chemicals. Conventional tall-tower distillation processes generally suffer from industry pain points such as large footprint, high equipment investment, long commissioning cycles, and the need for frequent packing replacement and maintenance. Moreover, the acetonitrile-water system exhibits an azeotropic characteristic, making efficient separation difficult and energy consumption high with conventional distillation.

Our company's independently developed high-gravity rotating distillation solvent recovery and purification technology is environmentally friendly and provides turnkey integrated solutions for acetonitrile dehydration, concentration, and other solvent recovery applications.

The following are the feed conditions for our project (based on the peptide production project of Zhejiang Peptites Biotech Co., Ltd.)

Feed: 50% acetonitrile, 0.3% acetic acid, 0.2% ammonium acetate, 0.5% triethylamine, 0.1% isopropanol, 0.3% phosphoric acid, 0.5% peptides, with the balance being water

Processing capacity: 1500 L/h

Operation mode: continuous distillation, compatible with batch distillation

Optimized design for the acetonitrile-water azeotropic system, achieving efficient concentration and separation

Key Performance Indicators

Recovered acetonitrile product concentration ≥ 80%

Acetonitrile residue in wastewater ≤ 0.5%

Equipment height only 4.5–6.5 meters, capable of replacing a conventional 18–20 meter packed distillation column

Process Highlights

Compact footprint: The core unit requires minimal installation space and stands only 4.5–6.5 meters tall, capable of replacing a conventional 18–20 meter packed distillation column, significantly saving plant space and civil works investment.

Efficient separation of azeotropic systems: Optimizes the mass transfer process in a high-gravity field specifically for the acetonitrile-water azeotropic characteristic, breaking through the separation limits of conventional distillation and achieving efficient acetonitrile concentration.

Rapid startup: Stable operating conditions are reached within a short time; low equipment liquid holdup and flexible batch switching make it well suited for the multi-product, variable-condition operation characteristics of peptide production.

Packing-free structure: The high-gravity machine requires no packing, eliminating packing procurement and replacement costs, reducing downtime maintenance, and avoiding packing clogging and cross-contamination caused by peptide residues.

PLC/DCS fully automatic control system, stable continuous operation, simple and safe operation.

Utility Consumption (Customized based on actual operating conditions)

Equipment model: CX1300–IV series high-gravity distillation machine available

Steam heating, cooling water condensation, with supporting vacuum system (if required)

Wetted parts standard configuration: 316L stainless steel; duplex steel or titanium available for highly corrosive conditions

Capable of recovering and purifying various waste solvents including acetonitrile, DMF, DMSO, methanol, MTBE, triethylamine, ethanol, acetone, DCM, and more. Welcome to provide basic information such as your mother liquor composition, concentration, and processing capacity. Our engineers will customize a process solution to help you solve solvent purification challenges, achieve green and environmentally friendly production, and effectively reduce operating costs. Please consult our professionals:

https://www.cxcemachine.com/