The Lummus Company

Lummus Crest, Inc.

Joon T Kwon

Abraham P Gelbein

George D Suciu

Atef M Shaban

Morgan C Sze

George J Snell

Hydrolysis of nitrile to amide by use of a quaternary ammonium hydroxide at 60.degree. to 95.degree. C.

Hydrolysis of nitriles to amides with quaternary ammonium hydroxide

Chlorine and tertiary alkanol dissolved in an inert organic solvent are reacted with aqueous alkali to produce tertiary alkyl hypochlorite which is recovered in the organic solvent and reacted with water and olefinically unsaturated compound to produce chlorohydrin and tertiary alkanol. Chlorohydrin and tertiary alkanol recovered in the organic solvent are contacted with aqueous alkali to produce the epoxy compound, and tertiary alkanol recovered in the organic solvent is recycled to hypochlorite production. The process may be integrated with the electrolytic production of chlorine, with an appropriate treatment of the recycle aqueous stream when required.

Production of epoxy compounds from olefinic compounds

Production of halohydrins; in particular, chlorohydrins by reaction of tertiary alkyl hypohalite and olefinically unsaturated compound in the presence of water and a water soluble salt of an amphoteric metal; in particular, a salt of tin, aluminum, zinc, zirconium, magnesium, or titanium, which provides a pH of from 2 to 5 under reaction conditions.

Production of halohydrins

A chlorohydrin, such as glycerol dichlorohydrin is saponified in two stages, with the first stage being carried out in a high back-mix saponification reactor, and the second stage being carried out in a plug-flow saponification reactor. The use of two different stages improves both selectivity and yield.

Saponification of chlorohydrins

Production of halohydrins; in particular, chlorohydrins by reaction of tertiary alkyl hypohalite and olefinically unsaturated compound in the presence of water and a metal selected from Group II-A, II-B, III-A, III-B, IV-A, IV-B, or V-A of the Periodic Table. The use of such metals improves the production of halohydrin.

Olefin is oxidized in the absence of oxygen with a carboxylic acid in the presence of Mn(IV) oxide promoted with a noble metal to produce an effluent which includes mono and/or diester corresponding to the olefin and acid.

Olefin oxidation

Alkyl hypohalites are produced by reaction of tertiary alkanol with chlorine and aqueous base, or prechlorinated aqueous base, in a high back-mix recycle loop reactor operated at a recycle ratio of at least 5:1 to thereby control reaction temperature and permit the use of short reaction times; i.e., less than 5 minutes. The loop reactor is operated at a velocity sufficient to maintain a well dispersed reaction mixture of the organic, aqueous and gas phases. Tertiary butyl hypochlorite is a preferred product.

Production of alkyl hypohalites

Hydrogen cyanide, carbon dioxide and ammonia present in a nitrile production effluent are recovered as an aqueous solution containing ammonium carbonate and ammonium cyanide. The cyanide is hydrolyzed to ammonia and carbon monoxide, followed by recovery of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and ammonia, all free of cyanide, from the hydrolyzed solution. In this manner, ammonium values are recovered from the cyanide byproduct and recovered streams are free of cyanide.

Treatment of cyanide byproduct in nitrile production

In an integrated process for electrolytic production of chlorine and the production of an olefin oxide via the chlorohydrin wherein the chlorohydrin is contacted with an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide and sodium chloride from the cathode compartment of an electrolytic cell, to produce the oxide and brine, the brine is contacted with gaseous chlorine to oxidize organic impurities to volatile organic fragments, which are stripped from the brine, prior to recycling the brine to the electrolytic cell.

Cyclic process for production of alkylene oxide using electrolysis of

A carbonaceous feedstock, obtained from either a petroleum or coal source, is hydrodenitrified by the use of a supported sulfided catalyst containing nickel, molybdenum and iron, with the molybdenum being present in an amount of from about 10% to about 20%, by weight, calculated as MoO.sub.3, based on total weight of catalyst, the iron to molybdenum atomic ratio being from about 0.05 to about 0.5, and the nickel to molybdenum atomic ratio being from about 0.2 to about 0.6. The process effectively denitrifies high nitrogen content feeds.

Denitrification of carbonaceous feedstocks

Olefin oxide is produced by reacting chlorine, obtained from an electrolysis cell, with a tertiary alkanol and an aqueous solution, containing sodium hydroxide and sodium chloride, obtained from the cathode of an electrolysis cell, to produce a tertiary alkyl hypochlorite. The hypochlorite is then reacted in a chlorohydrin reactor with an olefinically unsaturated compound and water, essentially free of chloride ions, to produce the corresponding chlorohydrin. The chlorohydrin is recovered and saponified with cell liquor, containing sodium hydroxide and sodium chloride, obtained from the cathode compartment of the cell to produce the olefin oxide.

A coal liquefaction product is separated into an essentially solid free stream and a solid containing stream including the coal ash. The solid containing stream is hydrotreated, in the absence of added catalyst, and valuable clean fuel components stripped from the hydrotreated stream. The combustibles content of the stripped solid containing stream is reduced by hydrotreatment, prior to stripping.

Coal liquefaction

A process for recovering the calcium values and sulfide values from a calcium sulfide-containing material is disclosed. The calcium sulfide-containing material dispersed in an aqueous medium is digested in the presence of hydrogen sulfide under conditions to provide a mole ratio of S.sup.-.sup.-/Ca.sup.+.sup.+ of between 1.5 and 2.0. After filtration to remove undissolved solids, the mother liquor is stripped with an inert gaseous medium, e.g. nitrogen, steam, etc., whereby hydrogen sulfide is stripped therefrom with the concomitant formation of calcium hydroxide which is subsequently separated by filtration. The gaseous overhead from the stripping operations may be fractionated to form a recycleable hydrogen sulfide-containing stream.

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Freehold Township, NJ, United States of America

Joon T Kwon