Ethyl Corporation

Albemarle Corporation

Lloyd E Goddard

George A Knesel

George L Mina

A process for producing crystalline ibuprofen having a crystal habit characterized by a particle length larger than 75 microns average and a length to width aspect ratio of greater than about 4 to 1 to about 5 to 1. The process involves crystallizing ibuprofen from a saturated solution of ibuprofen in a liquid hydrocarbon solvent by seeding and cooling such solution to a temperature of about 0.degree. C. to about -20.degree. C. at a rate to retard primary nucleation and promote secondary nucleation. The crystalline ibuprofen is separated from the slurry produced from such cooling.

Process for improving flow characteristics of crystalline ibuprofen

3,5-dialkyl-4-hydroxybenzyl-substituted benzene compounds are made by reacting 2,6-dialkyl-4-methoxymethyl phenols with a benzene compound having an unsubstituted nuclear position in an inert solvent and in the presence of sulfuric acid catalyst while distilling methanol by-product from the reaction mixture as it forms.

Phenolic antioxidant process

Aluminum is removed from sec-alkyl phenolic compositions containing aluminum in the form of a phenate by first adding aqueous alkali metal hydroxide in stoichiometric excess over said aluminum and then acidifying the mixture with a mineral acid and removing the acidic aqueous phase to leave a substantially aluminum-free sec-alkyl phenolic composition. The method is especially adapted to remove aluminum from the distillation bottoms remaining after distilling product from a sec-alkylation mixture formed by alkylating a phenol with a sec-alkyl precursor olefin using an aluminum phenate catalyst.

Chemical process

Phenols having an unsubstituted ortho position are transalkylated in the ortho position by mixing them with an ortho-alpha-branched alkylphenol (e.g., 2,6-di-sec-butylphenol) and an aluminum phenoxide catalyst and heating the mixture to 100.degree.-350.degree.C., preferably in a closed system and in the presence of olefin corresponding in structure to the ortho-alpha-branched alkyl group.

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Orangeburg, SC, United States of America

Lloyd E Goddard