Allied Chemical Corporation

Allied Corporation

Alliedsignal Inc.

The Lummus Company

Sunoco Inc (r&m)

William B Fisher

Lamberto Crescentini

Jan F Van Peppen

Joseph D DeCaprio

Gene C Weedon

David Pendlebury

Laszlo J Balint

Dong Wha Kim

Eugene Addison Swanson

John Walter Showers

Leonard Evans James

Orin Wyatt Norwood

Howard Lyle Helmer

Roy J Lilley, Jr

George D Suciu

Scott Martin Hacker

Richard Eugene Mayer

Yousef Mohajer

Ali M Khonsari

Jamin Chen

Chong H Chan

Richard R Hertzog

John W Wagner

Stylianos Sifniades

Thomas Paul Izod

Bernard K Marshall, Jr

Muhammad S Sahli

Anthony J DeCaria

Webb B Blackman, Jr

Ronald K Nilsen

Joseph D Shrom

Joseph M Browning

A process for decomposing a cumene oxidation product mixture containing cumene hydroperoxide (CHP) and dimethylphenyl carbinol (DMPC) to produce phenol, acetone and alpha-methyl styrene (AMS) with enhanced safety of operation and reduced by-product formation which comprises the steps: mixing the cumene oxidation product in a stirred or back-mixed reactor with an acid catalyst, with 10 to 100 percent acetone relative to the amount of acetone produced during the decomposition reaction, and with up to 4 weight percent additional amounts of water relative to the reaction mixture, at an average temperature between about 50&#xb0; C. and about 90&#xb0; C. for a time sufficient to lower the average CHP concentration of the reactor to between about 0.2 and about 3.0 weight percent, and wherein a portion of DMPC is converted to dicumyl peroxide (DCP); then reacting the reaction mixture from step (a) at a temperature between about 120&#xb0; C. and 150&#xb0; C. under plug-flow conditions for a time sufficient to decompose substantially all residual CHP and at least 90 percent of the DCP formed in step (a).

Decomposition of cumene oxidation product

A process for selectively separating polyamides from multi-component waste materials including the steps of subjecting the multi-component mix to a specific mixture of caprolactam and water at a preselected temperature range below the degradation temperature of the polymer to be recovered, separating the formed polyamide solution, and recovering the desired polyamide. The process is very desirable for separating multi-component waste materials which contain not only nylon 6, but also nylon 6,6. The recovered polyamide may be used in molding applications and in fiber such as carpet fiber.

Selective polyamide recovery from multi-component materials

The process for rectification of phenol prepared from crude phenol being the product of decomposition of cumene hydroperoxide and having previously been distilled to remove large portions of acetone, cumene and alpha methylstyrene which includes:

High quality phenol rectification with energy recovery

In the production of hydroxylamine disulfonate diammonium salt (DS) comprising reacting ammonium nitrite with ammonium bisulfite and sulfur dioxide in an absorption reactor whereby emission gases comprising NO.sub.x, particularly NO, are released as a result of side reactions, the method of treating said emission gases to reduce the concentration of NO comprises adding NO.sub.2 to the emission gases and contacting the mixture of NO.sub.2 and emission gases with an aqueous alkali solution sufficiently to form nitrite and nitrate ions in said alkali solution.

Abatement of NO.sub.x from hydroxylamine disulfonate process

Crude phenol, containing AMS by-product, and MBF impurity, is distilled in the presence of water to separate MBF impurity.

Production of high purity phenol by steam distillation

This invention is a method of purifying crude caprolactam. The improved method comprises taking a portion of a process stream of crude caprolactam having low boiling impurities and distilling the stream in the presence of water by fractional distillation into an overhead containing water and low boiling impurities and bottoms of caprolactam having improved purity and low water content. The improvement also comprises taking a low water content stream of crude caprolactam having low boiling impurities and adding water to the stream and distilling the stream by fractional distillation as described above.

Removal of light impurities from caprolactam by distillation with water

This invention is a catalyst and method of oxidizing ammonia by contacting the ammonia and air with catalyst of cobalt oxide, wherein the improvement comprises using activated alumina in conjunction with the cobalt oxide catalyst.

Oxidation of ammonia over a mixed catalyst bed of cobalt and aluminum

This invention is a method to recover caprolactam from a combined stream of mother liquor from a caprolactam crystallizer and other lactam containing aqueous streams, the improvement comprising steam distilling the combined stream at a temperature of from between about 180.degree. C. to 235.degree. C. in the absence of any depolymerization agent such as phosphoric acid; so that the residue from the steam distilling remains fluid; relatively low levels of caprolactam remain in the residue; less residue is generated; the recovered caprolactam has improved high quality; and losses of caprolactam due to side reactions are reduced.

Recovery of caprolactam from process residues

Alpha-methyl styrene, obtained as a byproduct in the manufacture of phenol is hydrogenated to cumene using hydrogen and standard hydrogenation catalysts which are selective for the ethylenic side chain. Prior to hydrogenation the alpha-methyl styrene is treated to effect removal of hydroxy acetone present. By reducing or eliminating hydroxy acetone, poisoning of the catalyst is prevented. Hydroxy acetone is removed from the alpha-methyl styrene by catalytic pretreatment.

Method to purify alpha-methyl styrene prior to catalytic hydrogenation

A process for preparing an improved cobalt oxide catalyst for ammonia oxidation comprising decomposing a cobalt compound such as basic cobalt carbonate by heating to form cobalt oxide, then saturating the cobalt oxide with cobalt nitrate solution and reheating to give an active, durable cobalt oxide catalyst. In ammonia oxidation processes, the durable catalyst of this invention has a long catalyst life and gives improved conversion of ammonia to nitric oxide. Additionally, the catalyst of this invention is capable of performing at higher operating rates than known catalysts. Optimum yields are obtained when the catalyst is prepared from compounds derived from electrolytic grade cobalt.

Process for making a cobalt oxide catalyst

This invention is the method to recover caprolactam from a concentrated nylon 6 chip wash water containing water, cyclic oligomer, and caprolactam. The method comprises feeding the concentrated wash water to a wiped-film evaporator operated at a temperature of from about 200.degree. C. to 300.degree. C. and a pressure from about 10 to about 250 Torr, thereby separating the wash water into (a) an overhead stream of water and caprolactam and (b) a bottom stream of caprolactam and cyclic oligomers, then recovering the caprolactam from the overhead stream. The caprolactam in the bottom stream can also be recovered, and the cyclic oligomers depolymerized to caprolactam for recovery.

Recovery of caprolactam from nylon 6 oligomers

Ammonium nitrite is commercially produced by contacting a gaseous stream containing nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, nitrogen and oxygen with an aqueous solution containing a basically reacting ammonium compound in an absorption system. However, at normal production rates, serious problems have been encountered because of relatively low yield of ammonium nitrite and the emission of unreacted nitric oxide which causes pollution of the atmosphere. It has now been found that in situ generation of nitrogen dioxide in the absorption system by operating the absorption system under slight pressure greatly improves ammonium nitrite yield, reduces nitrogen oxide emission, reduces loss of ammonia as nitrogen and minimizes mist formation in the vent gas. Moreover, with respect to environmental pollution, we have discovered that a synergistic improvement results from an interaction effect involving use of said sight pressure in combination with late addition of controlled supplemental quantities of nitrogen dioxide to the nitrogen oxide gas while said gas is being absorbed in the absorption system.

Process for the synthesis of ammonium nitrite

In a process for producing cyclohexanone comprising hydrogenating phenol in the liquid phase in the presence of a catalyst composed of a carrier having deposited thereon a layer of palladium and an alkali metal compound as a promoter, the improvement wherein the carrier consists of carbon particles having diameters of 5 to 300 microns and the catalyst is admixed with 0.1 to 10 parts by weight, per part of catalyst, of carbon particles having diameters less than 5 microns. This improvement effectively reduces long-term accumulation of catalyst poisons on the catalyst, including catalyst poisons that are by-products of the hydrogenation reaction.

Process for producing cyclohexanone

A computer controlled process for preparation of cyclohexanone by liquid phase, catalytic hydrogenation of phenol in three or more hydrogenation stages by using a computer control system interrelated with a phenol hydrogenation system in such a manner that it is capable of correlating a predetermined mole ratio of phenol to cyclohexanone with a predetermined maximum temperature in each of the hydrogenation stages, whereby intrinsic safety of operation is achieved by operating at temperatures at or below the atmospheric boiling point in each reactor.

Production of cyclohexanone

A controlled process for preparation of cyclohexanone by liquid phase, catalytic hydrogenation of phenol in two or more hydrogenation stages by correlating a predetermined mole ratio of phenol to cyclohexanone with a predetermined maximum temperature in each of the hydrogenation stages, whereby intrinsic safety of operation is achieved by operating at temperatures at or below the atmospheric boiling point in each reactor. The process provided improved control by use of a hydrogenation gas comprising hydrogen and nitrogen and recycling unreacted gas to the reaction zone to promote flashing overhead of product cyclohexanone. At least part of the recycling gas is treated by a cryogenic hydrogen recovery process to remove inerts from the system.

Growing community of inventors

Chester, VA, United States of America

William B Fisher