Oxea Bishop LLC

Fred Gaytan

Marcos L Schroeder

Heinz Strutz

Guido D Frey

Norman Nowotny

Donald K Raff

William E Slinkard

Kenneth Allen Windhorst

Michael J Stone

Howard W Brooks

Tracy Kevin Hunt

Tracy Kevin Hung

David P Harris

A multistage tubular reaction system and method for preparing methylol derivatives of an aldehyde includes a tubular reaction system with a plurality of successive reactor stages comprising a plurality of jacketed reaction tubes provided with a cooling system adapted to control flow of a cooling medium through said jacketed reaction tubes. The cooling medium flow is controlled independently in different stages in response to temperature measurements in the reaction system to regulate temperature. In order to further reduce temperature spikes and byproduct generation, aldehyde is stepwise added to the production stream at a plurality of feed ports proximate to reaction tubes equipped with tube inserts to enhance mixing and heat transfer.

Manufacture of methylolalkanes with augmented heat transfer and improved temperature control

A multistage tubular reaction system and method for preparing methylol derivatives of an aldehyde includes a tubular reaction system with a plurality of successive reactor stages provided with a formaldehyde containing feed stream. The system includes multiple feed ports for the staged addition of Cor higher condensible aldehyde and/or base to the formaldehyde containing stream at a plurality of successive feed points to provide a production stream, which is progressively provided with additional reactants as the production stream advances through the successive reaction stages. Advantages include better temperature control and reduced byproduct formation.

Manufacture of methylolalkanes

The present invention provides a process for improving the color of trimethylolpropane which comprises the steps of a) supplying a crude, aqueous base solution of trimethylolpropane, containing color causing impurities, and having a pH of less than about 9; b) contacting said base solution with an alkaline material for a period of time sufficient to increase the pH of said base solution to greater than 11 and at a sufficient temperature to allow the color causing impurities to react with said alkaline material; c) cooling the resulting solution from step (b) for a sufficient period of time; d) contacting said base solution of step (c) with an organic acid for a sufficient period of time to lower the pH thereof to less than about 9.5; e) extracting the trimethylolpropane from said base solution of step (d) with an organic solvent; f) separating the trimethylolpropane from said organic solvent; and g) purifying said trimethylolpropane from step f) to form a trimethylolpropane having a phthalic color of less than 0.20 and an acid wash color of less than 8.

Trimethylolpropane color improvement

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Kingsville, TX, United States of America

Fred Gaytan