Council of Scientific and Industrial Research

Thella Prathap Kumar

Boyapati Manoranjan Choudary

Mannepalli Lakshmi Kantam

Kottapalli Koteswara Rao

Asad Ali Khan

Kottapalli Koteshwara Rao

Pentlavally Sreekanth

Pentlavalli Sreekanth

Bhavnari Purna C Rao

Mannepalli Lakshmi Kantham

Kantarao Naik

The present invention provides an improved process for the production of benzaldehyde with 40-50% selectivity by the catalytic liquid phase air oxidation of toluene using a composite catalytic system comprising salts of iron, cobalt, manganese, molybdenum or nickel as recyclable catalyst, salts of manganese or copper as recyclable co-catalyst and cobalt bromide, sodium bromide, sodium chloride and zinc bromide as promoter.

Selective liquid phase air oxidation of toluene catalysed by composite catalytic system

The present invention relates to an improved process for the production of benzaldehyde with 40-50% selectivity comprising by catalytic liquid phase air oxidation of toluene. The process involves providing a continuous flow of air in the presence of a catalyst such as salts of Fe, Co, Mo and Ni, and preferably a co-catalyst such as salts of manganese or copper, a promoter which may also be a bromine source, and a carboxylic acid solvent selected from the group consisting of acetic, propionic, benzoic acids ranging between 0.05 to 0.3 wt. times with respect to toluene, at a temperature ranging between 60-130&deg; C. and pressures in the range of 1-10 bars for a period of 0.5-1.5 hours to obtain benzaldehyde (40-50%) along with other by-products.

Process for the production of benzaldehyde by the catalytic liquid phase air oxidation of toluene

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Andhra Pradesh, India

Thella Prathap Kumar