E.i. Dupont De Nemours and Company

Jesse Oris White

Morris Rapoport

Willie Jon Barnette

Donald Leo Schmitt

The process of oxidizing cyclohexane to produce cyclohexanone and cyclohexanol in the weight ratio of 0.5 to 1.5 of cyclohexanone to cyclohexanol, said process comprising contacting a stream of liquid cyclohexane with oxygen in each of at least three successive oxidation stages by introducing into each stage a mixture of gases comprising molecular oxygen and inert gas, said oxygen being introduced in amounts that may range from an amount that will substantially all react with the cyclohexane under the particular conditions involved to an amount in excess of the amount required to react with the cyclohexane, said excess being such that the overall oxygen consumed in the oxidation zone is not more than 95 mole percent of the amount fed under the particular conditions involved, in the presence of a binary catalyst system comprising 0.02 to 0.9 ppm chromium and 0.1 to 5 ppm cobalt at a temperature of from 130.degree. to 200.degree. C. and a pressure of from 60 to 350 psig, reacting any cyclohexylhydroperoxide that may be formed in the presence of said binary catalyst system and recovering a product of cyclohexanone and cyclohexanol in the above ratio.

Cyclohexane oxidation in the presence of binary catalysts

Preparation of cyclohexyl hydroperoxide substantially free of other peroxides by oxidation of cyclohexane containing a cyclohexane soluble cobalt salt in a zoned oxidation process in which an oxygen containing gas is fed to each zone in the oxidation section in an amount in excess of that which will react under the conditions of that zone.

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Fredericksburg, TX, United States of America

Jesse Oris White