The Lummus Company

Other

Lummus Crest, Inc.

John E Paustian

Abraham P Gelbein

George D Suciu

Morgan C Sze

Anthony J Fanelli

Roger C Johnson

Helion H Sardina

Renata M Cox

A process for the manufacture of alkylbenzenes wherein a feed of fresh and recycle benzene and fresh olefin are reacted in the presence of an alkylation catalyst in an alkylator having at least two reaction stages wherein each stage is adiabatic. Essentially all of the olefin is completely reacted in each stage of the alkylator. Fresh olefin is fed into each stage of the alkylator. Preferred alkylbenzenes which are produced by this process are ethylbenzene and cumene.

Manufacture of alkylbenzenes

A process for preventing backmixing in a fluidized bed vessel wherein a gaseous fluid phase and fluidized solids are moved co-currently through a plurality of fluid bed compartments in substantially plug flow. The vessel may be used for production of maleic anhydride.

Process for preventing backmixing in a fluidized bed vessel

Organic impurities in aqueous salt solutions; e.g., alkali or alkaline earth chloride solutions in particular, brines, are oxidized with chlorate ions at a pH of no greater than 5.0 and a temperature of at least 130.degree. C. to convert the organics to carbon dioxide. The process has particular applicability to oxidation of organic impurities in an aqueous brine solution derived from the saponification of a chlorohydrin to olefin oxide, prior to introduction of the brine into an electrolytic cell.

Oxidation of organics in aqueous salt solutions

A nitrile, such as terephthalonitrile or nicotinonitrile is reacted with water, in the vapor phase, in the presence of a catalyst, such as supported phosphoric acid, to produce the corresponding carboxylic acid.

Production of carboxylic acids from nitriles

Hydrogen chloride gas, containing hydrogen fluoride and/or silicon tetrafluoride, is contacted with calcium chloride supported on activated alumina, to separate the hydrogen fluoride and/or silicon tetrafluoride therefrom.

Separation of hydrogen fluoride from hydrogen chloride gas

Nicotinamide is produced by aqueous ammonia hydrolysis of nicotinonitrile wherein the conversion is limited to at least 30% and no greater than 70%, with the nicotinonitrile concentration, expressed as weight product amide per 100 pounds of water, being at least 100 parts and no greater than 300 parts, with the hydrolysis being effected in the presence of ammonium nicotinate in an amount sufficient to essentially eliminate net production thereof. Ammonia and nicotinonitrile are stripped from the hydrolysis effluent, and nicotinamide recovered, by crystallization, from the stripped hydrolysis effluent.

Nicotinamide production

Amine salts of aromatic and aliphatic carboxylic acids are produced by hydrolysis of a corresponding nitrile, imide, amide or mixtures thereof in the presence of an amine, and stripping of evolved ammonia. The amine salts may be used in separation of certain isomeric acids, and are useful as intermediates in the production of the corresponding carboxylic acids and derivatives thereof, such as esters and anhydrides.

Production of amine salts of carboxylic acids

Anhydrides of carboxylic acids, more particularly, of aromatic, naphthenic and saturated aliphatic acids having at least one pair of carboxyl groups attached to adjacent carbon atoms, can be prepared by thermal decomposition of amine salts of the acids, with removal of the amine. The amine salts may be produced by aqueous hydrolysis of the corresponding nitriles, imides, or amides in the presence of an amine, or by hydrolysis to the ammonium salts followed by conversion to the amine salt by stripping off ammonia in the presence of an amine.

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Whippany, NJ, United States of America

John E Paustian