Oxidant reduction by manipulation and/or treatment of aqueous

Abstract

A process for manufacturing an unsaturated mononitrile selected from the group consisting of acrylonitrile and methacrylonitrile comprising reacting an olefin selected from the group consisting of propylene and isobutylene, ammonia and oxygen in a reactor zone in the presence of a catalyst to produce a reactor effluent containing the corresponding unsaturated mononitrile, transferring the reactor effluent containing the unsaturated mononitrile to a quench column wherein the reactor effluent containing the unsaturated mononitrile is contacted with at least a first aqueous stream to cool the reactor effluent, transferring the cooled reactor effluent containing the unsaturated mononitrile to an absorption column wherein the reactor effluent containing unsaturated mononitrile is contacted with at least a second aqueous stream to separate and remove the unsaturated mononitrile as a bottom stream from the absorption column, transferring the bottom stream containing the unsaturated mononitrile to a recovery and purification section where the unsaturated mononitrile is recovered and purified, and recycling at least one aqueous process stream to improve the efficiency of the process wherein the improvement comprises treating at least one aqueous stream before recycling into the process stream to reduce the pH thereby reducing the amount of trace impurities present in the aqueous recycle stream.