Hoechst Celanese Corporation

O Stanley Fruchey

Charles B Hilton

John R Fritch

Daniel A Aguilar

Theodore Horlenko

Phillip S Snyder

William J Seeliger

N-acetyl-para-aminophenol is prepared by contacting 4-hydroxyacetophenone oxime with a Beckmann rearrangement catalyst in an alkyl alkanoate reaction solvent. An integrated process is disclosed wherein 4-hydroxyacetophenone is reacted with a hydroxylamine salt and a base to obtain 4-hydroxyacetophenone oxime, the oxime product is extracted from the resulting reaction mixture with a substantially water-immiscible solvent, and the mixture of oxime and substantially water-immiscible solvent is contacted with a Beckmann rearrangement catalyst to produce N-acetyl-para-aminophenol. Novel Beckamnn rearrangement catalysts are used to limit by-product formation in the ester solvent.

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Bad Soden/T.S., Germany

O Stanley Fruchey