Great Lakes Chemical Corporation

James T Ayres

John L Sands

John E Hill

John L Burba, Iii

David L McAllister

Preston E Spires

Described are preferred processes which produce methyl mercaptan from methyl bromide and aqueous mediums of metal hydrosulfide. The processes can be used to simultaneously consume methyl bromide byproduct and aqueous NaSH byproduct while producing methyl mercaptan.

Processes producing methyl mercaptan

Highly purified brominated aromatic compounds such as decabromodiphenyl ether, pentabromophenol, and the like may be obtained by grinding the crude brominated product to provide particles predominantly less than about 20 microns in diameter and thereafter heating the crude ground brominated product for a time and at a temperature in order to effect substantial removal of the bromine and hydrogen bromide impurities therefrom. Optionally, the product may be ground a second time after the heating step to optimize product particle size and liberate residual impurities. The foregoing procedure is especially effective where the brominated compound is a thermally stable solid under the conditions of treatment and is substantially free from impurities containing aliphatic and alicyclic hydrocarbon groups.

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El Dorado, AR, United States of America

James T Ayres