Stamicarbon B.v.

Stamicarbon B.v., Licensing Subsidiary of Dsm

Arnold G Jetten

Reijer Goettsch

Otto G Plantema

Nicolaas F Haasen

Process the recovering caprolactam from the residue remaining following the distillation, under reduced pressure, of impure caprolactam obtained by rearrangement of cyclohexanone oxime with sulphuric acid or oleum, by distilling the residue under reduced pressure whereby a caprolactam-containing distillate is obtained; hydrogenating the caprolactam containing distillate in an aqueous medium to obtain a hydrogenation product; and recovering caprolactam from the resulting hydrogenation product.

Recovery of caprolactam from caprolactam-containing distillation residue

In a distillation process 2-pyrrolidones obtained from succinonitrile are purified by treating the impure liquid pyrrolidone with a strong base, fractionally distilling this product to yield, as distillate, polymerization grade purified 2-pyrrolidone, mixing the 2-pyrrolidone-containing residue from the fractional distillation with water and an acid, and extracting purified 2-pyrrolidone from the water/acid mixture. The latter purified 2-pyrrolidone products are suitable for recycling to the pyrrolidone synthesis or to make other products.

Process for the purification of 2-pyrrolidone

A process for the recovery of 2-pyrrolidone from the aqueous reaction product obtained in the preparation of 2-pyrrolidone from the hydrogenation of succinonitrile and subsequent reaction with water of the hydrogenation product thus obtained. The aqueous reaction mixture is adjusted to a pH value of 7 or lower and extracted with chloroform or methylene chloride to form an organic phase containing substantially all of the 2-pyrrolidone. The 2-pyrrolidone can be recovered from the organic phase by distillation, or by further extraction with water followed by crystallization from the aqueous phase thus formed or by evaporation of water.

Growing community of inventors

Ulestraten, Netherlands

Arnold G Jetten