Hoechst Celanese Corporation

William J Seeliger

Charles B Hilton

John R Fritch

Daniel A Aguilar

Theodore Horlenko

O Stanley Fruchey

Phillip S Snyder

N-acetyl-para-aminophenol is prepared by contacting 4-hydroxyacetophenone oxime with a Beckmann rearrangement catalyst in an alkyl alkanoate reaction solvent. An integrated process is disclosed wherein 4-hydroxyacetophenone is reacted with a hydroxylamine salt and a base to obtain 4-hydroxyacetophenone oxime, the oxime product is extracted from the resulting reaction mixture with a substantially water-immiscible solvent, and the mixture of oxime and substantially water-immiscible solvent is contacted with a Beckmann rearrangement catalyst to produce N-acetyl-para-aminophenol. Novel Beckamnn rearrangement catalysts are used to limit by-product formation in the ester solvent.

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Corpus Christi, TX, United States of America

William J Seeliger