Uop Lcc

Alliedsignal Inc.

Orochem Technologies, Inc.

Paul R Kurek

Robert R Frame

Tom N Kalnes

Blaise J Arena

Mark D Moser

Edward J St Martin

Elaine F Schumacher

Anil Rajaram Oroskar

Gregory John Lewis

Raymond John Swedo

David W House

Jennifer S Holmgren

Asha Anil Oroskar

Ronald P Rohrbach

Dusan J Engel

Ted Symon

Richard L Fergin

Michael D Tufano

A process is disclosed for producing organic nitriles such as Acetonitrile or Hydrogen Cyanide, in which yields may exceed 90%, undesirable by-products are not produced, and handling of ammonia gas is avoided. In one aspect, a process includes preparing a feed including ammonium salts and water; introducing the feed into a reactor containing a catalyst; and heating the feed in the presence of the catalyst. The catalyst may advantageously include molybdenum on a silica or silica alumina support. The feed may be ammonium acetate in water with about 50 wt % ammonium acetate and the balance water or ammonium formate in water. In another aspect, a process includes preparing a feed including ammonium hydroxide and acetic acid; introducing the feed into a reactor containing a catalyst; and heating the feed in the presence of the catalyst.

High-yield production of organic nitriles

A process for oxygenating organic substrates such as aliphatic hydrocarbons has been developed. The process involves contacting the organic substrate with oxygen in the presence of a bicyclo imide promoter and a metal co-catalyst. The process is preferably carried out using sulfolane as the solvent. Optionally, the oxygenated product can be hydrogenated to give the corresponding alcohol which can optionally in turn be dehydrated to provide the corresponding olefin.

Conversion of organic substrates to oxygenates or olefins using a bicyclo imide promoter

Compounds that inhibit polymerization of vinyl aromatic compounds need to operate at temperatures of about 90&deg; C. to about 150&deg; C. A process for increasing the thermal stability of inhibitors such as N,N&prime;-di-2-butyl-N,N&prime;-dinitroso-1,4-diaminobenzene is disclosed. The process comprises adding to the inhibitor a stabilizer such as N,N&prime;-di-2-butyl-1,4-diaminobenzene. The mixture of inhibitor and stabilizer is also used to inhibit polymerization of vinyl aromatic compounds.

Increasing the thermal stability of a vinyl aromatic polymerization inhibitor

A process is disclosed for inhibiting the polymerization of vinyl aromatic compounds, such as styrene, during its distillation. The process involves adding a mixture of at least two inhibitors to the vinyl aromatic compound. One such combination is N,N&prime;-di-2-butyl-N,N&prime;,4-dinitroso-1,4-diaminobenzene and dinitrocresol. A stabilizer such as N,N&prime;-di-2-butyl-1,4-diaminobenzene can also be added.

Process for inhibiting the polymerization of vinyl aromatic compounds

Applicants have developed a process for inhibiting the polymerization of vinyl aromatic compound during the distillation of the vinyl aromatic compounds. The process involves adding to the vinyl aromatic compound, e.g., styrene, a nitroso compound such as N-nitroso-N, N'-di-3-pentyl-p-phenylenediamine.

Process for inhibiting the polymerization of vinyl aromatics

Manganese(IV)-containing oxides are effective catalysts for oxidation of water-soluble cyanide over a wide pH range (0.5-12) and temperature (15.degree.-250.degree. C.). Oxygen is the preferred oxidizing agent at partial pressures between about 0.2 and 5 atmospheres (2.9-75 psi, 20-517 kPa). Electrolytically deposited MnO.sub.2 is one preferred form of the catalyst. Another preferred manganese(IV)-containing oxide is the group of cation-stabilized manganese(IV)-containing oxides illustrated by cryptomelane. Yet another preferred form of manganese(IV)-containing oxide is a group of crystalline manganese phosphate compositions having an extended network and an empirical composition on an anhydrous basis expressed by an empirical formula of:

Oxidative removal of aqueous cyanide by manganese(IV)-containing oxides

Sweetening of sour hydrocarbon feedstocks by contacting with an aqueous solution of a metal chelate as an oxidation catalyst in the presence of oxygen is hindered by the difficulty of recovering metal chelate. Extraction of the aqueous phase with a liquid secondary amine with low water solubility removes a main portion of the metal chelate, usually a mixture of polysulfonated cobalt phthalocyanines, from the aqueous phase, and subsequent recovery of the chelate from the amine extract enables a viable alternative to feed bed processes.

Extraction of water-soluble metal chelates used as catalysts in

The oxidation of inorganic cyanides and the concurrent hydrolysis of many organic cyanides can be effected in aqueous media using a diversity of metal chelates supported on metal oxide solid solutions. Metal oxide solid solutions containing magnesium and aluminum oxide or magnesium, nickel and aluminum oxide are specially favored to effect oxidation-hydrolysis even at temperatures over 100.degree. C.

Oxidation and hydrolysis of cyanides using metal chelates on supports of

The oxidation of metal-complexed cyanide under acid conditions using oxygen as the oxidizing agent can be performed effectively with certain metal chelates as catalysts. Especially effective chelates are metal phthalocyanines, particularly where the metal is vanadium or a member of the iron group metals. The oxidation can be effected homogeneously using water soluble metal chelates, or can be performed heterogeneously, especially in a continuous fashion using a packed bed reactor, by using suitable water-insoluble metal chelates, especially when supported on appropriate carriers.

Oxidative removal of aqueous metal-complexed cyanide under acidic

The oxidation of cyanide under acid conditions using oxygen as the oxidizing agent can be effected under mild reaction conditions when certain metal chelates are used as catalysts. Especially effective chelates are metal phthalocyanines, particularly where the metal is vanadium or a member of the iron group metals. The oxidation can be effected homogeneously using water soluble metal chelates, or can be performed heterogeneously, especially in a continuous fashion using a packed bed reactor, by using suitable water-insoluble metal chelates, especially when supported on appropriate carriers.

Oxidative removal of aqueous cyanide under acidic conditions

Conductive fuel detergent compositions which posses not only the desirable characteristics of minimizing unwanted deposits on internal engine surface such as intake systems or port fuel injectors and exhibiting anticorrosion characteristics but also have conductive properties comprise quaternary succinimides which are characterized by having an oligomeric alkyl moiety on the succinimide ring. The additive may be prepared by condensing a (polyalkyl)succinic anhydride with a polyamino hydroxyalkyl quaternary ammonium salt, where the latter is formed by the reaction of a .OMEGA.-haloepoxide with a tertiary amine followed by reaction of the resulting product with a polyamine.

Fuel composition containing a quaternary ammonium salt

A continuous method of preparing N-monoalkyl alkylenediamines, uncontaminated by the N,N'-dialkyl alkylenediamine, is based on the observation that the disubstituted material selectively precipitates from aqueous media. A scheme is presented where an aqueous alkylenediamine is reacted with a suitable carbonyl component and hydrogen over a supported platinum catalyst. Where the alkylenediamine forms an azeotrope with water it can be conveniently recycled to the reactor.

Selective, high purity preparation of N-monoalkyl alkylenediamines

Rare earth pillared clays, and especially cerium and lanthanum aluminum chlorohydrite pillared clays, are quite effective catalysts in the alkylation of diaryl amines at temperatures in the range of 100.degree.-225.degree. C. The catalysts effect alkylation using olefins as the alkylating agent with high conversion and with minimal cracking of either the olefin or the alkylated product. Catalysts may be regenerated by heating in air at temperatures of at least about 550.degree.-600.degree. C. Water in small amounts also modifies the reaction to further reduce cracking although it also reduces the activity of the catalyst.

Alkylation of diarylamines with olefins using rare earth modified

Acylatable aromatic hydrocarbons may be acylated with a broad variety of carboxylic acid anhydrides in the presence of solid acid catalysts which replace conventional Friedel-Crafts catalysts to afford aromatic ketones in good yield and with high selectivity. Both aromatic and aliphatic carboxylic acid anhydrides may be used as the acylating agent, and solid acid catalysts such as the sulfated oxides of zirconia, pillared clays, and rare earth-exchanged pillared clays are found to be quite effective in the practice of this invention. The process may be practiced in a continuous mode, especially where excess aromatic compound is used as a reactant and is recycled from the product effluent to the reaction zone containing a bed of catalyst.

Acylation of aromatic compounds by acid anhydrides using solid acid

Continuous methylation of tetralin with methanol over several solid acid catalysts affords a mixture of 5-methyltetralin and 6-methyltetralin with selectivity of better than 65% at high conversions. Zeolite .beta. is a particularly effective catalyst insofar as it catalyzes the reaction at a temperature approximately 100.degree. C. lower than that required for silica-aluminas. However, the reaction temperature is quite sensitive to the concentration of methanol in the feedstock.

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Barrington, IL, United States of America

Paul R Kurek