Lucite International UK Limited

Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation

Neil Tindale

Graham Ronald Eastham

Darren Gobby

Eastham Graham Ronald

Ronald Graham Eastham

John Colin Middleton

There is described a method of reducing polymer tar build-up in the production of methyl methacrylate and/or methacrylic acid by the acetone cyanohydrin process. In the method a stabiliser is contacted with the amide stage reaction medium. The stabiliser includes a hydrocarbon moiety capable of donating a labile hydrogen atom to a methacrylamide derivative capable of reaction with said labile hydrogen atom under the conditions in the said medium. The method herein is especially useful for the continuous production of methyl methacrylate and/or methacrylic acid.

Method of producing methyl methacrylate or methacrylic acid

The present invention provides a catalyst system capable of catalyzing the carbonylation of an ethylenically unsaturated compound, which system is obtainable by combining:

Catalyst system

A continuous process for the production of an alkyl ester product is described. The process includes the steps of carbonylating ethylene with carbon monoxide in the presence of C1-6 alkanol co-reactant to form the alkyl ester product. The carbonylation takes place in the presence of a catalyst system that includes (a) a bidentate ligand, (b) a catalytic metal selected from a group 8, 9 or 10 metal or a compound thereof, and (c) a sulphonic acid capable of forming an acid alkyl ester with the C1-6 alkanol. The process includes the step of separating the alkyl ester product from a carbonylated crude product stream by treatment effective to vaporizing the alkyl ester product in a single stage flash distillation column and providing a purified alkyl ester product stream separated from the bidentate ligand and catalytic metal.

Continuous process for the carbonylation of ethylene

A mixing apparatusfor mixing at least two fluids, the mixing apparatuscomprising a shaftrotatable about its longitudinal axis, a firstand a secondradially extending impeller mounted on the shaftand respectively axially spaced apart, characterised in that the first impellercomprises a plurality of curved bladesoperable to move said fluids in an axial direction towards the second impeller, and the second impellercomprises a plurality of curved bladesoperable to move said fluids in an axial direction towards the first impeller

Mixing apparatus

The present invention provides a catalyst system capable of catalyzing the carbonylation of an ethylenically unsaturated compound, which system is obtainable by combining: a) a metal of Group VIB or Group VIIIB or a compound thereof, b) a bidentate phosphine, arsine or stibine ligand, and c) an acid, wherein said ligand is present in at least a 2:1 molar excess compared to said metal or said metal in said metal compound, and that said acid is present in at least a 2:1 molar excess compared to said ligand, a process for the carbonylation of an ethylenically unsaturated compound, a reaction medium, and use of the system.

A continuous process for carbonylation of ethylene in a liquid phase using carbon monoxide, a co-reactant and a suitable catalyst system, including: 

A continuous carbonylation process for high turnover carbonylation, and a carbonylation reaction medium and product stream thereof. The process comprises carbonylating an ethlenically unsaturated compound with carbon monoxide in the presence of a source of hydroxyl groups and a catalyst system. The catalyst system comprising: (a) a bidentate phosphine, arsine or stibine ligand; and (b) a catalytic metal selected from a group VIB or group VIIIB metal or a compound thereof. The catalytically active concentration of said catalytic metal, measured as the ACCF (product Kg&#xb7;hr&#xb7;Dm), is maintained at less than 0.5.

The invention concerns metal complexes and their preparation, in particular a metal complex MLnXm, where M is a metal of group 8, 9 or 10 and X is a halide, HCO3-, NO3-, CO32- or carboxylate. n is a number equal to or less than the coordination number of the metal and m is 1 or 2 and is equal to the oxidation state of the metal. The ligand L may be a bidentate phosphine of formula (I), (II), (III) or (IV) as set out herein. The process of production comprises reacting an ammine compound of metal M with a complexing compound, which is preferably a phosphine.

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Redcar, United Kingdom

Neil Tindale