Bayer Aktiengesellschaft

Ernst Goldschmitt

Heinz U Blank

Peter Schnegg

Werner Mentzel

Eike Gabel

3-Hydroxybenzoic acid is obtained by reaction with an alkali metal hydroxide at a temperature of 220.degree. to 450.degree. C. and under a pressure of 1 to 120 bars, from a technical 3-sulphobenzoic acid mixture which contains sulphuric acid and/or sulphur trioxide and which contains at least 75% by weight of 3-sulphobenzoic acid, relative to the total organic constituents present, and not more than 35% by weight of sulphuric acid and/or SO.sub.3, relative to the total mass. For this purpose, this technical 3-sulphobenzoic acid mixture, if desired after dilution with an equal volume of water, is mixed with sufficient 50 to 100% strength by weight alkali metal hydroxide wherein the remaining 50 to 0% by weight consists essentially of water, for 2.5 to 8 mols of alkali metal hydroxide to be present per mol of 3-sulphobenzoic acid, after neutralization of the sulphuric acid and all the sulpho and carboxyl groups. In general, 10 to 45% by weight of water are present in the batch. The reaction mixture is acidified with a mineral acid to a pH value of less than 4, if appropriate after dilution with water, and the 3-hydroxybenzoic acid is isolated at temperatures within the range from -5.degree. C. to +40.degree. C.

Process for the preparation of 3-hydroxybenzoic acid

In a process for the preparation of 4-nitrotoluene-2-sulphonic acid by reacting 4-nitrotoluene with gaseous sulphur trioxide at an elevated temperature, the improvement wherein molten 4-nitrotoluene is reacted with gaseous sulphur trioxide at a temperature in the range from 60.degree. to 150.degree. C. under a pressure above the vapor pressure of 4-nitrotoluene, in a molar ratio of sulphur trioxide to 4-nitrotoluene of 0.1:1 to 1.5:1, and, after a conversion of at least 70 percent of the reaction component not employed in excess is achieved, the sulphonation mixture is treated with water.

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Dormagen, Germany

Ernst Goldschmitt