Dsm N.v.

E.i. Dupont De Nemours and Company

E. I. Du Pont Nemours and Co.

Other

Samuel L Lane

Wim Buijs

Frank Edward Herkes

Nicolaas F Haasen

Henricus F Wolters

Rudolf Pm Guit

Norman Herron

Leo Ernest Manzer

Kostantinos Kourtakis

Bruce E Smart

David Neil Marks

Joe Douglas Druliner

Rudolf P M Guit

Bruce Edwin Murphree

Harold Stanley Bruner

Stephen Paul Jordan

Process to prepare &egr;-caprolactam starting from a starting mixture containing a 6-aminocaproate ester, in which in a first step (1) the 6-aminocaproate ester is converted into 6-aminocaproic acid and 6-aminocaproamide by reaction with water in the presence of ammonia at a temperature of between 50 and 250&deg; C., with a separate or simultaneous removal of alcohol(s), and in a subsequent step (2) the 6-aminocaproic acid and 6-aminocaproamide are cyclizised at an elevated temperature, wherein in step (1) the 6-aminocaproate ester is converted into 6-aminocaproic acid and 6-aminocaproamide in the presence of an amount higher than 2 wt. % and less than or equal to 25 wt. % NH,(relative to the total amount of organic compounds, water and ammonia present in step (1)).

Process for the preparation of &egr;-caprolactam

An improved process for decomposing alkyl or aromatic hydroperoxides to form a decomposition reaction mixture containing the corresponding alcohol and ketone. The improvement relates to decomposing the hydroperoxide by contacting the hydroperoxide with a catalytic amount of a heterogenous catalyst of Au, Ag, Cu or a sol-gel compound containing particular combinations of Fe, Ni, Cr, Co, Zr, Ta, Si, Mg, Nb, Al and Ti wherein certain of those metals have been combined with an oxide, such as an inorganic matrix of hydroxides or oxides, or combinations thereof. The catalysts may also optionally be supported on a suitable support member and used in the presence of an additional metal.

Hydroperoxide decomposition process

An improved method for manufacturing poly(hexamethylene adipamide), i.e. nylon 6,6, by reacting monomethyl adipate with hexamethylenediamine in an approximately equimolar ratio in the presence of water at a temperature of 100 to 165.degree. C. while simultaneous distilling off of a stoichiometric amount of methanol. The resulting aqueous intermediate product is then heated to 200 to 260.degree. C. while distilling off substantially all water at a pressure of 150 to 250 psig (1.03 .times.10.sup.6 to 1.72 .times.10.sup.6 Pa) followed by reducing the pressure to atmospheric pressure and increasing the temperature to 270 to 280.degree. C. to polycondense the distillate residue. Such a process is useful in producing high purity commercial grade poly(hexamethylene adipamide) that advantageously avoids problems caused by N-methylation of the polyamide.

Method for manufacturing poly(hexamethylene adipamide) from

Process to prepare .epsilon.-caprolactam starting from a liquid aqueous mixture containing an alcohol and 6-aminocaproic acid by cyclization of 6-aminocaproic acid in the aqueous mixture at an elevated temperature. The alcohol is separated from the starting aqueous mixture before performing the cyclization to such extent that the concentration of alcohol in the aqueous mixture during the cyclization is less than 1 wt. %. The advantages include reduced amounts of undesirable by-product.

Process to prepare .epsilon.-caprolactam from 6-aminocaproic acid

An improved method for the selective oxidation of alkyl-5-valerate to monomethyl adipate (e.g., methyl-5-valerate to monomethyl adipate). By performing the air oxidation at high pressure (i.e.,&gt;10 bars air and preferably 35 to 65 bars) and relatively moderate temperature (i.e., 20 to 120.degree. C.) in the absence of a catalyst, commercial rates of conversion can be sustained at optimum selectivity to the desired product. Such a high pressure process is particularly amenable to continuous operating the oxidation reactor at optimum selectivity at the expense of conversion per pass followed by product separation and recycle of reactants.

Method of oxidizing alkyl-5-formyl valerate to monoalkyl adipate

Process for the preparation of .epsilon.-caprolactam starting from an aldehyde compound comprising at least one member from among 5-formylvaleric acid, ester or amide in which the aldehyde compound is allowed to react in the presence of ammonia and hydrogen and a subsequent cyclization of the reaction products thus formed (.epsilon.-caprolactam-precursors) to .epsilon.-caprolactam is performed in the presence of water, involved the combination of steps

Process for the preparation of E-caprolactam

This invention provides a process for the preparation of adipic acid from pentenoic acids or esters of pentenoic acids by hydrocarboxylation of a reaction mixture in which gamma-valerolactone constitutes 30 to 70% by weight of the reaction mixture.

Manufacture of adipic acid

A process for the preparation of .epsilon.-caprolactam and .epsilon.-caprolactam precursors, starting from the corresponding 5-formylvalerate ester, ammonia and hydrogen in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst is disclosed, wherein in a step (a) 5-formylvalerate ester is reacted with ammonia under non-hydrogenating conditions, and in a step (b) the reaction product obtained in step (a) is converted to .epsilon.-caprolactam and the .epsilon.-caprolactam precursor(s) under hydrogenating conditions, in the presence of ammonia.

Growing community of inventors

Beaumont, TX, United States of America

Samuel L Lane