High-Gravity Distillation DMF Solvent Recovery Project Case Study

N,N-Dimethylformamide (DMF) is a high-boiling polar aprotic solvent with stable chemical properties and strong dissolving capacity, widely used in peptide synthesis, pharmaceutical intermediates, fine chemicals, and new materials manufacturing. 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, DMF is prone to thermal decomposition at high temperatures, producing impurities such as dimethylamine that compromise the quality of the recovered solvent.

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

The following are the feed conditions for our project

Feed: ≥70% DMF, containing 25% MTBE, a small amount of methanol (MeOH), trace amounts of DIEA, dichloromethane (DCM), DIC, DIPEA, DBU, and an extremely small amount of piperidine

Processing capacity: 4–5 tons of waste liquid to be recovered per 8-hour shift (calculated as DMF)

Operation mode: continuous distillation, compatible with batch distillation

Vacuum operation, effectively lowering the boiling point of DMF and suppressing thermal decomposition

Key Performance Indicators

Recovered DMF product purity ≥ 99.5%

Dimethylamine residue < 0.1%

Alkaline substances including piperidine, DBU, etc. < 0.2%

Solvent recovery rate > 90%

Process Highlights

Compact footprint: The core unit stands only 4.5–6.5 meters tall and can replace a conventional 18–20 meter packed distillation column, significantly saving plant space and civil works investment.

Precise multi-component separation: Tailored for DMF / MTBE / methanol multi-component systems, achieving efficient separation based on boiling point differences to ensure DMF product purity and impurity control.

Rapid startup: Stable operating conditions are reached within a short time; low equipment liquid holdup and short high-temperature residence time make it perfectly suited for the heat-sensitive properties of DMF.

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

PLC/DCS fully automatic control system, stable operation under vacuum conditions, simple and safe operation.

Utility Consumption (Customized based on actual operating conditions)

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

Vacuum distillation, operating temperature adjusted according to vacuum level

Steam heating, cooling water condensation, with supporting vacuum system

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 DMF, DMSO, acetonitrile, 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.