Amoco Corporation

Bp Amoco Corporation

Thomas G Smith

Gary P Hagen

John M Weis

Yenamandra Viswanath

Mark W Meszaros

Gregory E Schmidt

Carl A Udovich

E William Breder, Jr

Ibrahim Ghanayem

Thomas E Nemo

Owen H Bailey

A method for recovering crystalline 2,6-dimethylnaphthalene comprising crystallizing in a scraped-wall crystallizer apparatus at crystallization temperature T, a mixture of low melting components, LM, having melting points of 70.degree. F. and below, and high melting components (HM), including 2,6-dimethylnaphthalene, having melting points above 70.degree. F, such that: ##EQU1## where HM is the total weight percent of high melting components, including 2,6-dimethylnaphthalene, in the mixture, and LM is the total weight percent of low melting components in the mixture, and where T is the temperature of the crystallization in degrees Fahrenheit, and where A is at least 1.0.

Crystallization of 2,6-dimethylnaphthalene

A method for recovering crystalline 2,6-dimethylnaphthalene comprising crystallizing in a scraped-wall crystallizer apparatus at crystallization temperature T, a mixture of low melting components, LM, having melting points of 70.degree. F. and below, and high melting components (HM), including 2,6-dimethylnaphthalene, having melting points above 70.degree. F., such that: ##EQU1## where HM is the total weight percent of high melting components, including 2,6-dimethylnaphthalene, in the mixture, and LM is the total weight percent of low melting components in the mixture, and where T is the temperature of the crystallization in degrees Fahrenheit, and where A is at least 1.0.

Crystallizaiton of 2,6-dimethylnaphthalene

A method and a system for extending useful life of a basic catalyst are disclosed. The basic catalyst comprises a particulate, porous, siliceous catalyst support and an alkali metal in the +1 oxidation state on the catalyst support surface. The catalyst is suitable for the synthesis of an alpha, beta-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid by condensation of a saturated carboxylic acid with formaldehyde. The method of the present invention contemplates providing a reactor, or a series of reactors, containing the basic catalyst and a confined source of the alkali metal associated with a suitable carrier, upstream of the reactor or reactors. A feed stream to the reactor is passed first through the confined source and thereafter through the reactor while reaction conditions for the condensation reaction are maintained within the reactor. The temperature of the feed stream passing through the confined source can be modulated to control release of the alkali metal from the carrier. Alkali metal released from the carrier is entrained into the feed stream passing through the confined source and is deposited onto the support in the reactor as the feed stream is passed through the reactor. Feed stream flow through the reactor or reactors can be reversed and/or interchanged as long as the confined alkali metal source remains upstream of one or more of the reactors, i.e., the upstream-most of the reactors in a series of staged reactors can function as the confined alkali metal source as well.

Method and system for extending catalyst useful life

A process is provided for transaralkylating a class of starting compounds comprised of aryl-substituted lower alkanes and aryl-substituted fused alkylene ring compounds to produce derivatives of such compounds wherein benzyl substituents thereof have different alkyl substituents compared to the starting compounds. The process is carried out by admixing such a starting compound with a lower alkyl-substituted aromatic compound under liquid phase conditions in the presence of a catalytically effective amount of a Friedel-Crafts catalyst. The process makes possible new and economical routes for synthesizing desired lower alkyl-substituted benzyl group containing compounds, such as 2,2-di(lower alkyl-substituted) phenyl propanes and 1,3,3-trimethyl-1-(lower alkyl-substituted)-phenyl indans. Thus, there is provided a three-step process for making dixylylpropane from alpha methyl styrene and also a two-step process for making 1,3,3,6-tetramethyl-1-o-xylyl indan from alpha-4-dimethyl styrene. Provided also is a process for preparing 3,3',4,4'-dixylylmethane from a mixture of isomeric dixylylmethanes.

Aromatic transformation process

A method for the highly selective production of 2,6-methylethylnaphthalene involving the use of a specific acid catalyst and a highly regeospecific ethylating agent.

Selective production of 2,6-methylethylnaphthalene

A regioselective acylation process is provided for coverting a 2-methylnaphthalene compound to a 2-acetyl-6-methylnaphthalene compound. The process is conducted under liquid phase conditions in an acylation inert solvent using a complexing agent which is regiospecific for the beta position of naphthalene and which is a thermally stable nitrohydrocarbon compound. Preferred such agents are nitrobenzene, o-nitrotoluene, and mesitylene. Also provided is a novel method for producing a 2-acetyl-6-methylnaphthalene compound of relatively high purity from isomer mixtures by recrystallization from a hydrocarbon solvent, such as n-octane, isooctane, or n-nonane.

2-acyl-6-methylnaphthalene preparation

A regioselective acetylation process is provided for converting a 2-methylnaphthalene compound to a 2-acetyl-6-methylnaphthalene compound. The process is conducted under liquid phase conditions using a new complexing agent which is regiospecific for the beta position of naphthalene and which is an electron-rich, carbon-based compound. A preferred such agent is hexamethylbenzene. Also provided is a novel method for producing a 2-acetyl-6-methylnaphthalene compound of relative high purity from isomer mixtures by recrystallization from a hydrocarbon solvent, such as n-octane, isooctane, or n-nonane.

Preparation of 2-acyl-6-methylnaphthalenes

Process is disclosed for regeneration of a solid methacrylic acid catalyst wherein said catalyst is decoked in the presence of an oxygen-containing gas at an initial temperature no greater than 650.degree. F. and then by increasing the temperature incrementally to complete the regeneration at a temperature of from about 650.degree. F. to 800.degree. F.

Process for preparation of methacrylic acid with regeneration of catalyst

A method of separating 3,3',4,4'-tetramethyldiphenyl ether from its solid mixture with 2,3,3',4'-tetramethyldiphenyl ether.

Separation of 3,3'4,4'- and 2,3,3',4'-tetramethyldiphenyl ether

A process is disclosed for producing an alpha-, beta-ethylenically unsaturated monocarboxylic acid compound which comprises the aldol-type condensation of a saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acid compound under vapor phase conditions in the presence of a hydrocarbon of 6 to 12 carbon atoms and a solid catalyst.

Growing community of inventors

Naperville, IL, United States of America

Thomas G Smith