Celanese Gmbh

Gene J Fisher

Jerry A Broussard

Theodore Horlenko

Jerald Edson Dirks

Acrolein and other light ends are removed from the effluent of a process for the production of acrylic acid by the vapor phase catalytic oxidation of acrolein or an acrolein precursor, such as propylene, by passing the effluent to the base of a fractionation tower and contacting such with the descending stream of liquid within the tower so as to partially condense the condensibles in the effluent, a portion of the liquid bottoms being recycled to the upper portions of the tower and a portion withdrawn as crude acrylic acid product. Acrolein is removed overhead.

Acrylic acid purification

Monomeric esters of polyalkylene glycols and .alpha., .beta.-unsaturated carboxylic acids are prepared, using a polyalkylene glycol or mono-ether derivative of an alkylene glycol or polyalkylene glycol which has a tendency to form peroxides, by heating a mixture of the glycol or derivative, a hydrocarbon solvent, and a small amount of a dilute caustic or sodium borohydride for a time and to a temperature sufficient to decompose the peroxide, and then reacting the glycol or derivative with an unsaturated acid such as acrylic acid or methacrylic acid in an inert atmosphere and in the presence of a suitable esterification catalyst and polymerization inhibitor. The crude reaction product is purified by extraction with an aqueous base, such as sodium carbonate, to remove acidic impurities and is thereafter treated with fuller's earth and decolorizing charcoal to remove any color bodies still present. The decolorizing agents are then removed by filtration.

Method of preparing polyalkylene glycol acrylates

A distillation process for removing light ends impurities from alkyl esters of carboxylic acids wherein a purified ester is removed as residue, and wherein an inert gas and water are added to the overhead vapors from the distillation so as to facilitate separation of the light ends therefrom.

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Corpus Christi, TX, United States of America

Gene J Fisher