Halcon Research and Development Corp.

James Leacock

Chee-Gen Wan

Robert Hoch

An oxidizable hydrocarbon is oxidized in a reaction zone at elevated temperature in the presence of a liquid reaction medium by introducing the hydrocarbon and a feed stream containing molecular oxygen to the reaction zone under conditions sufficient to oxidize at least a portion of the hydrocarbon; withdrawing at least a portion of the liquid reaction medium from the reaction zone; passing at least a portion of the withdrawn liquid reaction medium to an oxygen injection zone located external to the reaction zone; contacting the liquid in said oxygen-injection zone with a gas stream containing molecular oxygen under conditions sufficient to form a two-phase gas/liquid mixture; and passing said two-phase gas/liquid mixture to the reaction zone as the feed of molecular oxygen thereto.

Process for oxidation of hydrocarbons

Acetone produced as a by-product in the reaction of methyl acetate with carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the presence of a Group VIII noble metal catalyst and methyl iodide is recovered from the reaction mixture by supplying acetone to provide an acetone to methyl iodide molar ratio of at least 1:10 and distilling the mixture comprising methyl iodide, acetone and methyl acetate to separate substantially all of the methyl iodide and the supplied acetone and some of the methyl acetate from the remaining acetone and methyl acetate and thereafter separating the acetone from the methyl acetate.

Recovery of acetone produced by carbonylation

Water is removed from the methacrolein-containing effluent produced by the catalytic oxidation of isobutylene or tertiary butyl alcohol by quenching the effluent in water in a plurality of quenching steps under graduated increasing pressure.

Treatment of methacrolein-containing gases

In an oxidation process for converting methacrolein to methacrylic acid, methacrylic acid is recovered by cooling and condensing the effluent from the oxidation, followed by azeotropic distillation of the condensate with a suitable solvent, such as methyl n-propyl ketone. The condensed effluent contains methacrylic acid and water as the major components along with by-product acetic acid, a minor amount of unreacted methacrolein and impurities. Substantially dry crude methacrylic acid is separated as a bottom product from the azeotropic distillation and an azeotrope of water and the solvent is taken overhead and condensed. After condensation, solvent-rich and water-rich phases form and are separated. The solvent-rich phase is returned to the distillation column as a reflux, while the water-rich phase is sent to a stripping column for recovery of residual solvent. Water is withdrawn from the bottom of the stripping column and recycled or discarded, as desired. Optionally, an additional distillation column may be used in order to remove unreacted methacrolein from the solvent used in the azeotropic distillation.

Process for recovering methacrylic acid

Methacrolein is recovered from a gaseous mixture containing it by bringing the gaseous mixture into contact with acetic acid.

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New York, NY, United States of America

James Leacock