Acid ions

Another important parameter that may affect a precipitate s solubility is the pH of the solution in which the precipitate forms. For example, hydroxide precipitates, such as Fe(OH)3, are more soluble at lower pH levels at which the concentration of OH is small. The effect of pH on solubility is not limited to hydroxide precipitates, but also affects precipitates containing basic or acidic ions. The solubility of Ca3(P04)2 is pH-dependent because phosphate is a weak base. The following four reactions, therefore, govern the solubility of Ca3(P04)2. 

Polymerization. Paraldehyde, 2,4,6-trimethyl-1,3-5-trioxane [123-63-7] a cycHc trimer of acetaldehyde, is formed when a mineral acid, such as sulfuric, phosphoric, or hydrochloric acid, is added to acetaldehyde (45). Paraldehyde can also be formed continuously by feeding Hquid acetaldehyde at 15—20°C over an acid ion-exchange resin (46). Depolymerization of paraldehyde occurs in the presence of acid catalysts (47) after neutralization with sodium acetate, acetaldehyde and paraldehyde are recovered by distillation. Paraldehyde is a colorless Hquid, boiling at 125.35°C at 101 kPa (1 atm). 

Unsaturated aldehydes undergo a similar reaction in the presence of strongly acid ion-exchange resins to produce alkenyUdene diacetates. Thus acrolein [107-02-8] or methacrolein [78-85-3] react with equimolar amounts of anhydride at —10°C to give high yields of the -diacetates from acetic anhydride, useful for soap fragrances. 

The ratio of reactants had to be controlled very closely to suppress these impurities. Recovery of the acrylamide product from the acid process was the most expensive and difficult part of the process. Large scale production depended on two different methods. If soHd crystalline monomer was desired, the acrylamide sulfate was neutralized with ammonia to yield ammonium sulfate. The acrylamide crystallized on cooling, leaving ammonium sulfate, which had to be disposed of in some way. The second method of purification involved ion exclusion (68), which utilized a sulfonic acid ion-exchange resin and produced a dilute solution of acrylamide in water. A dilute sulfuric acid waste stream was again produced, and, in either case, the waste stream represented a... 

Even ia 1960 a catalytic route was considered the answer to the pollution problem and the by-product sulfate, but nearly ten years elapsed before a process was developed that could be used commercially. Some of the eadier attempts iacluded hydrolysis of acrylonitrile on a sulfonic acid ion-exchange resia (69). Manganese dioxide showed some catalytic activity (70), and copper ions present ia two different valence states were described as catalyticaHy active (71), but copper metal by itself was not active. A variety of catalysts, such as Umshibara or I Jllmann copper and nickel, were used for the hydrolysis of aromatic nitriles, but aUphatic nitriles did not react usiag these catalysts (72). Beginning ia 1971 a series of patents were issued to The Dow Chemical Company (73) describiag the use of copper metal catalysis. Full-scale production was achieved the same year. A solution of acrylonitrile ia water was passed over a fixed bed of copper catalyst at 85°C, which produced a solution of acrylamide ia water with very high conversions and selectivities to acrylamide. 

Methyl /-Butyl Ether. MTBE is produced by reaction of isobutene and methanol on acid ion-exchange resins. The supply of isobutene, obtained from hydrocarbon cracking units or by dehydration of tert-huty alcohol, is limited relative to that of methanol. The cost to produce MTBE from by-product isobutene has been estimated to be between 0.13 to 0.16/L ( 0.50—0.60/gal) (90). Direct production of isobutene by dehydrogenation of isobutane or isomerization of mixed butenes are expensive processes that have seen less commercial use in the United States. 

The catalysts used in the industrial alkylation processes are strong Hquid acids, either sulfuric acid [7664-93-9] (H2SO or hydrofluoric acid [7664-39-3] (HE). Other strong acids have been shown to be capable of alkylation in the laboratory but have not been used commercially. Aluminum chloride [7446-70-0] (AlCl ) is suitable for the alkylation of isobutane with ethylene (12). Super acids, such as trifluoromethanesulfonic acid [1493-13-6] also produce alkylate (13). SoHd strong acid catalysts, such as Y-type zeoHte or BE -promoted acidic ion-exchange resin, have also been investigated (14—16). 

The 1990 Clean Air Act mandates for blended oxygenates ia gasoline created a potentially large new use for DIPE as a fuel oxygenate. Isopropyl alcohol can react with propylene over acidic ion-exchange (qv) catalysts at low temperatures, which favor high equiUbrium conversions per pass to produce DIPE (34). 

A readily accessible carborane is nido-1 -(]5 i])- l- 1( 12 [I d-5], a 2witterionic species formally derived from [CB2qH23] by replacement of a by NH3. It has been shown (124) that this monocarbaborane can be obtained in excellent yield by treatment of B2QH24 with CN followed by passage through an acidic ion-exchange column (eq. 61). 

ButylatedPhenols and Cresols. Butylated phenols and cresols, used primarily as oxidation inhibitors and chain terrninators, are manufactured by direct alkylation of the phenol using a wide variety of conditions and acid catalysts, including sulfuric acid, -toluenesulfonic acid, and sulfonic acid ion-exchange resins (110,111). By use of a small amount of catalyst and short residence times, the first-formed, ortho-alkylated products can be made to predominate. Eor the preparation of the 2,6-substituted products, aluminum phenoxides generated in situ from the phenol being alkylated are used as catalyst. Reaction conditions are controlled to minimise formation of the thermodynamically favored 4-substituted products (see Alkylphenols). The most commonly used is -/ fZ-butylphenol [98-54-4] for manufacture of phenoHc resins. The tert-huty group leaves only two rather than three active sites for condensation with formaldehyde and thus modifies the characteristics of the resin. 

Methyl tert-Butyl Ether (MTBE). Methyl tert-hutyi ether [1634-04-4] is made by the etherification of isobutylane with methanol, and there are six commercially proven technologies available. These technologies have been developed by Arco, IFF, CDTECH, Phillips, Snamprogetti, and Hbls (hcensed jointly with UOP). The catalyst in all cases is an acidic ion-exchange resin. The United States has been showing considerable interest in this product. Western Europe has been manufacturing it since 1973 (ANIC in Italy and Huls in Germany). Production of MTBE in Western Europe exceeded 600,000 tons in 1990. 

A process to convert butenes to acetic acid has been developed by Farbenfabriken Bayer AG (137) and could be of particular interest to Europe and Japan where butylenes have only fuel value. In this process a butane—butylene stream from which butadiene and isobutylene have been removed reacts with acetic acid in the presence of acid ion-exchange resin at 100—120°C and 1500—2000 kPa (about 15—20 atm) (see Acetic acid and its derivatives, acetic acid). Both butenes react to yield j -butyl acetate which is then oxidized at about 200°C and 6 MPa (about 60 atm) without catalyst to yield acetic acid. 

Catalysts used are usually acids such as sulfuric acid, -toluenesulfonic acid, sulfonic acid ion-exchange resins, and others. The water from the reaction of the citric acid and the alcohol is continuously removed as the azeotrope until no more water is formed. At this point, the reaction is usually complete and the solvent and any excess alcohol is distilled off under mild vacuum. The catalyst is neutralized using carbonate or sodium hydroxide, leaving a cmde product. If a pure product is desired, the ester can be distilled under high vacuum. 

Other Polymerization Methods. Although none has achieved commercial success, there are a number of experimental alternatives to clay-catalyzed or thermal oligomeriza tion of dimer acids. These iaclude the use of peroxides (69), hydrogen fluoride (70), a sulfonic acid ion-exchange resia (71), and corona discharge (72) (see Initiators). 

In order to produce high yields of ester in this manner it is necessary to remove the by-product ammonia (or amine) either by heating or combining with mineral acid, eg, H2SO4 or HCI. Recent work has shown that acidic ion-exchange resins can be used in place of mineral acids for converting sensitive unsubstituted amides (76). The stmctural relationships involved in esterification of amides are shown in Table 2 (77). 

Commercially, sulfonic acid ion-exchange resins are used in fixed-bed reactors to make these tertiary alkyl ethers (14). Since the reaction is very selective to tertiary olefins and also reversible, a two-step procedure is also used to recover commercially pure tertiary olefins from mixed olefin process streams. The corresponding tertiary alkyl ether is produced in the olefin mixture and then easily separated from the unreacted olefins by simple fractionation. The reaction is then reversed in a second step to make a commercially pure tertiary olefin, usually isobutylene or isoamylene. 

The repeatedly attempted commercialization of hydrazine synthesis via dialkyldiaziridines required hydrolysis of the latter without the use of stoichiometric amounts of acid. Catalytic amounts of acid, e.g. an acidic ion exchanger, were used in the presence of excess ketone, yielding the azine as an intermediate, which could be hydrolyzed without acid above 100 °C to give hydrazine hydrate and the ketone (62GEP1126395, 71JAP7102008). 

Methyl-te/t-butyl ether, a gasoline additive, is made from isobutene and methanol with distillation in a bed of acidic ion-exchange resin catalyst. The MTBE goes to the bottom with purity above 99 percent and unreacted materials overhead. 

Good Good 9-90 11.5-13.7 Extent of corrosion dependent upon type and concentration of acidic ions wide range of mechanical properties obtainable by alloying and heat treatment... 

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