Exxonmobil Chemical Patents Inc.

Catalytic Distillation Technologies

Jon E R Stanat

Jihad Mohammed Dakka

Stephen Zushma

James Richardson Lattner

John Scott Buchanan

Jane C Cheng

Allen David Godwin

Mark Paul Hagemeister

Karla Schall Colle

Ramzi Yanni Saleh

John Di-Yi Ou

Raphael Frans Caers

Daria N Lissy

Mitchell E Loescher

Eddy Theophile Van Driessche

Michael J Keenan

Christopher C Boyer

Xiaobo Zheng

Philippe Louis Buess

Carolyn B Duncan

Juan J Reinoso

Triglyceride and other polyol ester PVC plasticizers can be produced by recovery of branched C6 to C9 aldehydes from a hydroformylation product, optional hydrogenation to the alcohol, oxidation to the acid with oxygen and/or air, recovery of the resulting acid, and esterification with glycerol, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol or mixtures thereof. The branched alkyl chains comprise at least 10% methyl branching. Special triglycerides are derived from branched aliphatic acids having alkyl chains with average carbon numbers from 6 to 9 and at least 10% methyl branching. These triglycerides are fast fusing plasticizers if before esterification with glycerol, an aryl acid is introduced together with the aliphatic acids.

Polyol ester plasticizers and process of making the same

The invention relates to the production of paraxylene by an alkylation process that also produces oxygenates. The process is controlled to utilize recycle to minimize said oxygenates.

Alkylation process

In a process for oxidizing an alkylaromatic compound to the corresponding hydroperoxide, a feed comprising an alkylaromatic compound is contacted with an oxygen-containing gas in the presence of a catalyst comprising a cyclic imide. The contacting is conducted at a temperature of about 90&#xb0; C. to about 150&#xb0; C., with the cyclic imide being present in an amount between about 0.05 wt % and about 5 wt % of the alkylaromatic compound in the feed and the catalyst being substantially free of alkali metal compounds. The contacting oxidizes at least part of the alkylaromatic compound in said feed to the corresponding hydroperoxide.

Oxidation of alkylaromatic compounds

C7-C12 secondary alcohol esters of cyclohexanecarboxylic acids are especially useful as plasticizers for PVC and other plasticizable polymers. In embodiments, these plasticizers are useful in plastisol formulations to help improved processability of flexible PVC material. In other embodiments these same plasticizers can be used in blends with other plasticizers to improve processability. In preferred embodiments these same plasticizers can be used to prepare flexible PVC compounds with enhanced low temperature flexibility, low toxicity, and improved resistance to outdoor aging.

C7&#x2014;C12 secondary alcohol esters of cyclohexanoic acid

A method is described for preparing a molecular sieve-containing catalyst for use in a catalytic process conducted in a stirred tank reactor. The method comprises providing a mixture comprising a molecular sieve crystal and forming the mixture into catalyst particles having an average cross-sectional dimension of between about 0.01 mm and about 3.0 mm. The mixture may include a binder and the catalyst particles are then calcined to remove water therefrom and, after calcination and prior to loading the catalyst particles into a reactor for conducting the catalytic process, the catalyst particles are coated with a paraffin inert to the conditions employed in the catalytic process.

Preparation of molecular sieve catalysts and their use in the production of alkylaromatic hydrocarbons

In a process for oxidizing a hydrocarbon to the corresponding hydroperoxide, alcohol, ketone, carboxylic acid or dicarboxylic acid, a reaction medium comprising a hydrocarbon is contacted with an oxygen-containing gas in a reaction zone and in the presence of a catalyst comprising a cyclic imide. During the oxidation process, a portion of the reaction medium is continuously or intermittently removed from the reaction zone, is stripped of water and organic acid impurities and then returned to the reaction zone.

Oxidation of hydrocarbons

In a process for producing sec-butylbenzene, a Colefinic hydrocarbon feedstock comprising isobutene and at least one n-butene is contacted with methanol and/or water in the presence of an acid catalyst to selectively oxygenate isobutene to produce an effluent stream rich in n-butene and containing less isobutene than the feedstock. The effluent stream is then contacted with benzene under alkylation conditions and in the presence of an alkylation catalyst to produce alkylation stream comprising sec-butylbenzene.

Process for producing sec-butylbenzene

A process for the oligomerization of propylene is disclosed wherein MCM-22 zeolite prepared as a distillation structure is used in a reaction distillation zone under conditions of temperature and pressure to concurrently react the propylene to produce oligomers thereof and separate the oligomer products from unreacted propylene by fractional distillation in a distillation column reactor. Compared to the prior art tubular or plug flow reactors, lower temperatures and pressures are used to produce higher conversions and selectivities to preferred isomeric forms.

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Westhampton Beach, NY, United States of America

Jon E R Stanat