Ethyl Corporation

Albemarle Corporation

Other

Albemarble Corporation

W Dirk Klobucar

Charles H Kolich

Thanikavelu Manimaran

Tse-Chong Wu

Gary D Focht

Chi Hung Cheng

Gerald M Sulzer

William B Harrod

Jeffrey T Books

Gary D Heidebrecht

Ronald C Zumstein

Joseph D McLean

Ronny W Lin

Robert H Allen

William J Layman, Jr

Gordon G Knapp

Billie B Dadgar

Allan A Eisenbraun

David M Indyke

Kannappan C Chockalingam

Adam Nugent, Jr

R Carl Herndon, Jr

Hao V Phan

Robert A Schaerfl, Jr

Thorsten W Brockmann

Kimberly A Maxwell

Ranjit K Roy

J Todd Aplin

Thomas Robert Nicholas

Yaping Zhong

Kannappan C Chockalingham

Jeffrey L Broeker

A batch process for the anionic polymerization of a styrenic monomer is described. The process brings together a liquid saturated hydrocarbon diluent, an ether promoter, an organolithium initiator and a styrenic monomer in such a way so as to maintain the reaction mixture at or below about 55&deg; C. and so that the amount of organolithium initiator employed is in the range of about 1 to about 10 mol %, based upon the total amount of styrenic monomer to be added. Favorable polydispersity and molecular weight polymer characteristics are obtained.

Anionic polymerization process

Emulsion formation is minimized or prevented and hydrolytic product degradation is suppressed during purification of impure bisphenol-A bis(diphenylphosphate). This is accomplished by forming a hydrocarbon solution of bisphenol-A bis(diphenylphosphate) plus impurities in a solvent comprising at least one aromatic hydrocarbon and at least one paraffinic hydrocarbon. Optionally, but preferably, this solution is washed with water or an aqueous buffer solution. Next, the hydrocarbon solution is washed one or more times with an aqueous alkaline washing solution that has a specific gravity that differs from the specific gravity of the hydrocarbon solution by at least about 0.05 gram per cubic centimeter. After each washing the mixture settles into a purified organic phase and a separate aqueous phase, and these phases are separated from each other. After completing the one or more alkaline washings and separations, the resultant purified organic phase is washed one or more times with water to remove alkaline components from the hydrocarbon solution, and after each such washing the washed mixture is settled into a less alkaline purified organic phase and a separate aqueous phase. These phases are separated, and preferably the purified product is recovered from the organic phase.

Purification of arylene polyphosphate esters

Disclosed is a flame retardant comprising bisphenol A bis(diphenyl phosphate) and its dimer, the former having an HPLC determined 78 to 87 area % and an 85 to less than 90 normalized area %, the normalized area % being based on the total HPLC area % of the bisphenol A bis(diphenyl phosphate) and the dimer. The flame retardant also has a low isopropenylphenyl diphenyl phosphate and a low triphenylphosphate content.

Bisphenol-A bis(diphenyl phosphate)-based flame retardant

Meta-bromination with suppression of para-bromination is achieved by forming a reaction mixture comprised of (i) bromine chloride, (ii) a bromination catalyst, and (iii) a benzoyl halide, and maintaining the temperature of the resultant reaction mixture at one or more temperatures above 0&deg; C., but not greater than 30&deg; C. The bromine chloride is preferably formed in situ, most preferably by sparging gaseous chlorine into a mixture of bromine, finely-divided iron, and benzoyl chloride.

Process for producing 3-bromobenzoyl halides

Palladium-catalyzed arylation of an olefin (e.g., ethylene) with an aromatic halide (e.g., 2-bromo-6-methoxynaphthalene, m-bromobenzophenone, or 4-isobutyl-1-bromobenzene) is conducted in specified media. After a special acid or base phase separation procedure, palladium-catalyzed carbonylation of the olefinically-substituted aromatic intermediate is conducted in specified media using CO and water or an alcohol to form arylalkylcarboxylic acid or ester or substituted arylalkylcarboxylic acid or ester (e.g., racemic 2-(6-methoxy-2-naphthyl)propionic acid, 2-(3-benzoylphenyl)propionic acid, or 2-(4-isobutylphenyl)propionic acid). Catalyst recovery procedures enabling recycle of catalyst residues and efficient recovery of amine hydrogen halide scavenger and solvent used in the arylation reaction are described, as well as novel, highly efficient methods of conducting the carbonylation reaction. The technology is economical and suitable for use on an industrial scale whereby reaction mixtures can be efficiently separated into the desired component mixtures without need for excessive capital investment or tedious, time-consuming operations. High yields of high purity products can be achieved.

Preparation of carboxylic compounds and their derivatives

Arylolefinic compounds are prepared by reacting aryl halide with an olefinic compound in the presence of a polar liquid reaction medium containing (a) secondary or tertiary amine as a hydrogen halide acceptor (b) a catalyst system formed from (i) Pd or Pd(0) compound, and/or Pd(I) salt or Pd(II) salt, and (ii) a tertiary phosphine ligand, and (c) a reaction accelerating amount of water in the range of about 0.5 to about 5 weight percent of the total weight of the reaction mixture. The arylolefinic compounds can be converted to an arylcarboxylic acid by hydrocarboxylation with CO in a reaction medium freed of amine and containing water and a Pd catalyst system as above in which a copper component may be included, and which preferably includes an ether such as THF.

Preparation of olefinic compounds and carboxylic derivatives thereof

A reaction mixture containing N-hydrocarbylthiophosphoric triamide or N-hydrocarbylphosphoric triamide ('Triamide') is formed by reacting ammonia with N-hydrocarbylaminothiophosphoryl dichloride or N-hydrocarbylaminophosphoryl dichloride in a liquid organic medium, in proportions of at least 16 moles of ammonia per mole of such dichloride and that keep in solution the ammonium chloride co-product formed in the reaction. The temperature of the reaction mixture is kept high enough to keep ammonium chloride-ammonia complex from forming a solid phase in the reaction mixture, but low enough to avoid significant reduction in Triamide yield. The reaction mixture is then caused/allowed to separate into an inorganic phase comprising ammonia, ammonium chloride and co-product thiophosphoric triamide or phosphoric triamide, and an organic phase comprising Triamide, liquid organic medium, dissolved ammonia and, usually, phosphorus impurities. These phases are separated from each other. The ammonia is removed from the organic phase to leave a concentrated solution of Triamide in residual liquid organic medium usually also containing phosphorus impurities. The Triamide is separated or recovered from this residual mixture by continuously introducing a stream of the liquid mixture into a wiped film evaporator operating at a temperature of about 60.degree.-140.degree. C., and at a pressure that avoids solids formation on the heating surface of the wiped film evaporator, and continuously collecting the Triamide product. Triamides are urease inhibitors for use with urea-based fertilizers.

Preparation and recovery of N-hydrocarbylthiophosphoric triamides or

Continuously fed to and mixed in a first reactor are (i) a preformed mixture of primary hydrocarbyl monoamine, tertiary amine and liquid inert organic solvent, and (ii) thiophosphoryl chloride while removing heat of reaction to maintain the reaction temperature in the range of about -20.degree. C. to about +50.degree. C. A reaction mixture containing N-hydrocarbylaminothiophosphoryl dichloride is formed. Ammonia and an effluent stream from the first reactor are continuously fed to and mixed in a second reactor in proportions of at least about 16 moles, of ammonia per mole of N-hydrocarbylaminothiophosphoryl dichloride that produce a reaction mixture containing N-hydrocarbylthiophosphoric triamide, and that keep in solution ammonium chloride co-product formed in the reaction. Heat of reaction is removed so that the temperature is high enough to keep ammonium chloride-ammonia complex from forming a solid phase in this reaction mixture, but low enough to avoid significant reduction in yield of N-hydrocarbylthiophosphoric triamide being formed. Effluent is withdrawn from the second reactor so as to maintain a substantially constant volume of reaction mixture in the second reactor. The process eliminates a difficult filtration of the co-product ammonium chloride formed in the second reaction. Also, it possible to accomplish this in a continuous process, with improved efficiency in large scale production of the N-hydrocarbylthiophosphoric triamides. Moreover, the ammonium chloride can be readily converted in the process to an industrially useful liquid co-product mixture.

Preparation of N-hydrocarbylthiophosphoric triamides

A process for the asymmetric reduction of carboxylic acids of the formula ##STR1## or the amine salts thereof, where R and R.sub.1 are the same or different and are hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl or haloalkyl and Ar is aryl or substituted aryl is disclosed.

Asymmetric hydrogenation of aromatic-substituted olefins using

Thioalkylated aromatic amines are prepared by reacting a mixture of an aromatic amine, an organic disulfide and a Lewis acid or organometallic catalyst to form a product mixture and adding to said product mixture a poly(oxyalkylene)polymer or by reacting a mixture of an aromatic amine, an organic disulfide and a Lewis acid or organometallic catalyst in the presence of a poly(oxyalkylene)polymer for the purpose of easy handling of the catalyst residue for recycling.

Method for DMTDA production

Asymmetric hydrogenation of aromatic-substituted olefins using metal or

A process for the asymmetric reduction of olefinic amides of the formula ##STR1## where R and R.sub.1 are the same or different and are hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl or haloalkyl and Ar is aryl or substituted aryl is disclosed.

Asymmetric hydrogenation of olefinic amides using organoruthenium

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Baton Rouge, LA, United States of America

W Dirk Klobucar