Union Carbide Chemicals & Plastics Technology Corporation

Arkema Inc.

Arkeme Inc.

Fungau Ho

Olan Stanley Fruchey

William G Etzkorn

Roger L Roundy

Christopher T Reeves

Dennis Wade Jewell

Patrick M Wiegand

Edmund J Yang

Leah Ann Patterson

Mahmood N A Jawaid

Richard W Wegman

William J Bartley

Chinsoo Stephen Lee

Cyril B Tellis

William C Brooks

Timothy D Ligon

Mahmood Jawaid

Barry Brent Fish

David Michael Anthony Minahan

David McNeill Somerville

Paul Frank Bryan

Vivek Julka

Dennis W Jewell

Raymond Edwin Rooks

Mahmood NA Jawaid

An improved process for the manufacture of technical grade (meth)acrylic acid, e.g., acrylic acid, the process comprising producing a hydrated reaction product from the gas-phase oxidation of at least one (meth)acrylic acid precursor, e.g., propylene, followed by first dehydrating and then concentrating the reaction product, the improvement comprising controlling at least one of the water, acetic acid and (meth)acrylic acid content of the reaction product during the purification of the reaction product using on-line, near IR spectroscopy.

Control of a process for the purification of (meth)acrylic acid using on-line, near IR analysis

The process for the distillation of a gas mixture comprising (meth)acrylic acid obtained from the gas-phase oxidation of at least one (meth)acrylic acid precursors is improved through the use of coupled distillation columns. In a first column, the gaseous mixture is dehydrated while in a second column, the dehydrated gaseous mixture is distilled into product, overhead and bottoms streams.

Process for producing acrylic acid

This invention relates to a process for conducting equilibrium-limited reactions, such as esterification and alcoholysis reactions, that uses two reaction zones. The first reaction zone operates under reaction conditions that retain at least a portion of the product in a liquid phase, and at least a portion of the liquid from the first reaction zone is introduced into a second reaction zone which operates under conditions sufficient to crack heavies, for example, Michael-addition heavies, formed in or introduced into said second reaction zone and to vaporize at least a portion of the product upon production thereof. Such a process allows for removal of product from the reaction system while catalyst desirably remains in the reaction system.

Process for conducting equilibrium-limited reactions

Crude butyl acrylate streams, e.g., from the reaction of butanol and acrylic acid, are refined using a splitter distillation column to yield a butyl acrylate- and heavies-containing bottoms fraction and an overhead fraction containing dibutyl ether, butyl acetate, butanol and butyl acrylate. The bottoms fraction is then subjected to separation, e.g., by distillation, to separate heavies from the bottoms fractions and to recover butyl acrylate. A process for the production of butyl acrylate is also disclosed, which process comprises not only the above-mentioned refining steps but also includes the steps of withdrawing from the splitter distillation column the overhead fraction and distilling the overhead fraction to recover a bottoms stream containing butanol and butyl acrylate, at least a portion of which could be recycled for reaction with acrylic acid to make butyl acrylate, and recovering the separated heavies, at least a portion of which could be recycled to a reaction zone for the production of butyl acrylate. At least 10,000 lb(avoir) quantities of a butyl acrylate product comprising at least 99.8 wt % butyl acrylate and containing not more than about 200 ppm butyl ether and not more than about 200 ppm butyl acetate are producible.

Processes for refining butyl acrylate

This invention relates in part to a processes for the conversion of a feedstock stream comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen to a product stream comprising at least one of an ester, acid, acid anhydride and mixtures thereof. This invention also relates in part to processes for converting an alcohol and/or ether feedstock to oxygenated products, e.g., esters, acids, acid anhydrides and mixtures thereof. The processes and catalysts are especially suitable for the production of acetic acid and methyl acetate from a synthesis gas feedstock or from an alcohol and/or ether feedstock.

Processes for preparing oxygenates

This invention relates to processes for conducting equilibrium-limited reactions such as esterification and alcoholysis reactions, using a single reaction zone and an acid separation column containing a rectification zone and a stripping zone. The single reaction zone temperature and pressure are sufficient to crack heavies, e.g., Michael-Addition heavies, formed in or introduced into said single reaction zone and to vaporize at least a portion of the product upon production thereof. The rate of supply of withdrawn bottoms fraction from the acid separation column to the single reaction zone can be controlled and adjusted to provide stable and efficient operation of the acid separation column and single reaction zone.

Processes for conducting equilibrium-limited reactions

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Charleston, WV, United States of America

Fungau Ho