Akzo Nobel Chemicals International B.v.

André Michiel Koolaard

Antoon Jacob Berend Ten Kate

Carolina Anna Maria Christina Dirix

Eilertdina Henderika Renkema

Luc Louis Théophile Vertommen

The present invention pertains to a process for preparing a product rich in epichlorohydrin, comprising the steps of: a) reacting a mixture of dichlorohydrin and a base at a temperature in the range of 0-40&#xb0; C. during a period of time in the range from 1 second to 180 minutes, wherein the base is present in a less than stoichiometric amount, to obtain a reaction mixture comprising epichlorohydrin and brine; b) subjecting at least part of the reaction mixture to a separation step to form a product fraction which is rich in epichlorohydrin and a brine fraction which is lean in epichlorohydrin; c) subjecting at least part of the brine fraction to a purification step to yield a purified brine. It has been found that the process according to the invention allows the manufacture of epichlorohydrin from dichlorohydrin on an industrial scale at high yield, while at the same time providing a brine with a low total organic carbon content without extensive separation being necessary.

Process for preparing epichlorohydrin from dichlorohydrin

Process for the chlorination of an organic compound comprising at least one aliphatic hydroxyl group, said process comprising the steps of actively adding to said organic compound (i) hydrogen chloride and (ii) a HCl desolubilizer or a precursor thereof, and heating the resulting mixture at a reaction temperature in the range 20&#xb0;-160&#xb0; C., wherein said chlorination is performed in the presence of a catalyst selected from the group consisting of (a) ketones, (b) aldehydes, (c) carboxylic acids with 1-8 carbon atoms, (d) organic compounds comprising a &#x3b2;-diketone moiety or a &#x3b2;-keto aldehyde moiety, and (e) organic polymers comprising at least one carbonyl group, having a vapor pressure at the reaction temperature of less than 1 mbar, a weight average molecular weight Mof 500 g/mole or more, and are soluble in the reaction mixture at the reaction temperature, and wherein the HCl desolubilizer is an alkali metal chloride salt, an alkaline earth metal chloride salt, or an acid.

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Zwolle, Netherlands

André Michiel Koolaard