Acids phase

The aqueous sodium naphthenate phase is decanted from the hydrocarbon phase and treated with acid to regenerate the cmde naphthenic acids. Sulfuric acid is used almost exclusively, for economic reasons. The wet cmde naphthenic acid phase separates and is decanted from the sodium sulfate brine. The volume of sodium sulfate brine produced from dilute sodium naphthenate solutions is significant, on the order of 10 L per L of cmde naphthenic acid. The brine contains some phenolic compounds and must be treated or disposed of in an environmentally sound manner. Sodium phenolates can be selectively neutralized using carbon dioxide and recovered before the sodium naphthenate is finally acidified with mineral acid (29). Recovery of naphthenic acid from aqueous sodium naphthenate solutions using ion-exchange resins has also been reported (30). 

Most ionic nitrations are performed at 0—120°C. For nitrations of most aromatics, there are two Hquid phases an organic and an acid phase. Sufficient pressure, usually slightly above atmospheric, is provided to maintain the Hquid phases. A large interfacial area between the two phases is needed to expedite transfer of the reactants to the interface and of the products from the interface. The site of the main reactions is often at or close to the interface (2). To provide large interfacial areas, a mechanical agitator is frequently used. 

When sulfuric acid is present in the mixed acids, the following ionisation reactions occur. These ionic reactions are rapid, and equiHbrium concentrations of NO2 are likely to be present at all times in the acid phase. NO2 concentrations depend mainly on the composition of the mixed acids but decrease to some extent as the temperature increases (3). 

Centrifugal separators are used in many modem processes to rapidly separate the hydrocarbon and used acid phases. Rapid separation greatly reduces the amounts of nitrated materials in the plant at any given time. After an explosion in a TNT plant (16), decanters (or gravity separators) were replaced with centrifugal separators. In addition, rapid separation allows the hydrocarbon phase to be quickly processed for removal of the dissolved nitric acid, NO, etc. These dissolved materials lead to undesired side reactions. The organic phase generally contains some unreacted hydrocarbons in addition to the nitrated product. 

Manufacture and Processing. Mononitrotoluenes are produced by the nitration of toluene in a manner similar to that described for nitrobenzene. The presence of the methyl group on the aromatic ring faciUtates the nitration of toluene, as compared to that of benzene, and increases the ease of oxidation which results in undesirable by-products. Thus the nitration of toluene generally is carried out at lower temperatures than the nitration of benzene to minimize oxidative side reactions. Because toluene nitrates at a faster rate than benzene, the milder conditions also reduce the formation of dinitrotoluenes. Toluene is less soluble than benzene in the acid phase, thus vigorous agitation of the reaction mixture is necessary to maximize the interfacial area of the two phases and the mass transfer of the reactants. The rate of a typical industrial nitration can be modeled in terms of a fast reaction taking place in a zone in the aqueous phase adjacent to the interface where the reaction is diffusion controlled. 

Modem commercial wet-acid purification processes (see Fig. 4) are based on solvents such as C to Cg alcohols, ethers, ketones, amines, and phosphate esters (10—12). Organic-phase extraction of phosphoric acid is accompHshed in one or more extraction columns or, less frequently, in a series of countercurrent mixer—settlers. Generally, 60—75% of the feed acid P2 s content is extracted into the organic phase as H PO. The residual phosphoric acid phase (raffinate), containing 25—40% of the original P2O5 value, is typically used for fertilizer manufacture such as triple superphosphate. For this reason, wet-acid purification units are almost always located within or next to fertilizer complexes. 

Orthophosphate salts are generally prepared by the partial or total neutralization of orthophosphoric acid. Phase equiUbrium diagrams are particularly usehil in identifying conditions for the preparation of particular phosphate salts. The solution properties of orthophosphate salts of monovalent cations are distincdy different from those of the polyvalent cations, the latter exhibiting incongment solubiUty in most cases. The commercial phosphates include alkah metal, alkaline-earth, heavy metal, mixed metal, and ammonium salts of phosphoric acid. Sodium phosphates are the most important, followed by calcium, ammonium, and potassium salts. 

In another process variant, only 88% of the nitrobenzene is reduced, and the reaction mixture then consists of two phases the precious metal catalyst (palladium on activated carbon) remains in the unreacted nitrobenzene phase. Therefore, phase separation is sufficient as work-up, and the nitrobenzene phase can be recycled direcdy to the next batch. The aqueous sulfuric acid phase contains 4-aminophenol and by-product aniline. After neutralization, the aniline is stripped, and the aminophenol is obtained by crystallization after the aqueous phase is purified with activated carbon (53). 

Mineral acids are used as catalysts, usually in a concentration of 20— 40 wt % and temperatures of 30—60°C. An efficient surfactant, preferably one that is soluble in the acid-phase upon completion of the reaction, is needed to emulsify the a-pinene and acid. The surfactant can then be recycled with the acid. Phosphoric acid is the acid commonly used in the pine oil process. Its mild corrosion characteristics and its moderate strength make it more manageable, especially because the acid concentration is constandy changing in the process by the consumption of water. Phosphoric acid is also mild enough to prevent any significant dehydration of the alcohols formed in the process. Optimization of a process usually involves considerations of acid type and concentration, temperature, surfactant type and amount, and reaction time. The optimum process usually gives a maximum of alcohols with the minimum amount of hydrocarbons and cineoles. 

The purity of the product was determined by the checkers by GLC analysis using the following column and conditions 3-nm by 1.8-m column, 5% free fatty acid phase (FFAP) on acid-washed chromosorb W (60-80 mesh) treated with dimethyldichlorosilane, 90 C (1 min) then 90 to 200 C (15°C per rain). The chromatogram showed a major peak for methyl 2-methyl-l-cyclohexene-l-carboxylate preceded by two minor peaks for methyl 1-cyclohexene-l-carboxylate and l-acetyl-2-methylcyclohexene. The areas of the two impurity peaks were 5-6% and 0.5-2% that of the major peak. The purity of the product seems to depend upon careful temperature control during the reaction. The total amount of the two impurities was 14-21% in runs conducted at about -15 to -20°C or at temperatures below -23°C. 

After the addition of 75 parts by volume of methanol and 150 parts by volume of acetic acid of 15% strength with adequate mixing, the solution is extracted with 2 portions each of 100 parts by volume of hexane. The combined hexane extracts are extracted with 15 parts by volume of acetic acid of 15% strength. The latter extract is added to the above acetic acid phase which is then extracted with 3 portions each of 75 parts by volume and 1 portion of 50 parts by volume of ethylene chloride. 

A solution of 3 methoxy-10-(3 chloro-2-methylpropyl)phenthia2ine (9.65 grams) and 4-hydroxypiperidine (6.1 grams) in xylene (lOcc) is heated under reflux for 5 hours. After cooling the mixture is diluted with ether (60 cc) and the basic compounds are extracted by agitation with water (30 cc) and 4N hydrochloric acid (20 cc). The aqueous acid phase is made alkaline with 4N sodium hydroxide solution (23 cc) and the liberated base is extracted with ether. The ethereal solution is washed with water (60 cc) and dried over sodium sulfate. Finally the solvent is distilled off on a water-bath. 

Since industrial nitration occurs, in most cases, in two-phase systems a number of workers have investigated the kinetics in both organic and acid phases (Refs 18b, 46 81). The consensus is that nitration occurs mainly in the acid phase. In what follows we will examine reaction rate effects in industrial-type nitrations for producing TNT, NG and EGDN... 

The negative influence of the organic layer also consists in reducing the concn of DNT in the acid phase. This occurs when the organic phase is composed mainly of molten TNT. 

The sulfoxidation of normal Cl4-CI7 paraffins with sulfur dioxide, oxygen, and water is performed under UV radiation in parallel reactors (1 in Fig. 3). The reaction enthalpy is dissipated by cooling of the paraffin in heat exchangers. The 30- to 60-kW UV lamps are cooled by a temperature-controlled water cycle. The reaction mixture leaving the reactors separates spontaneously into two phases in 2. The lighter paraffin phase is recirculated to the reactors. The composition of the heavy raw acid phase is shown in Table 5. 

Component Heavy raw acid phase Neutralized product... 

For n-decane isomerization, when a good balance between the metal phase and the acidic phase of the catalysts is reached, the isomerization and cracking yield curves of the catalysts are a unique function of the conversion, meaning that these yields do not depends on the porosity nor the acidity of large pore materials. Formation of the most bulky isomers, such as 4-propylheptane and 3-ethyl-3-methylheptane was favored in mesoporous solids (figure 1). Criteria based on the formation of these particular isomers are linked with mesoporosity and could be useful to discriminate between zeolites catalysts with and without mesopores. 

Szabo, G., Prosser, S., Bulman, R. A. (1990) Determination of the adsorption coefficient (KoC) of some aromatics for soil by RP-HPLC on two immobilized humic acid phases. Chemosphere 21, 777-788. 

In the liquid acid-catalyzed processes, the hydrocarbon phase and the acid phase are only slightly soluble in each other in the two-phase stirred reactor, the hydrocarbon phase is dispersed as droplets in the continuous acid phase. The reaction takes place at or close to the interface between the hydrocarbon and the acid phase. The overall reaction rate depends on the area of the interface. Larger interfacial areas promote more rapid alkylation reactions and generally result in higher quality products. The alkene is transported through the hydrocarbon phase to the interface, and, upon contact with the acid, forms an acid-soluble ester, which slowly decomposes in the acid phase to give a solvated... 

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