Adipic acid, catalytic production

Currently the global production of hexamethylenediamine exceeds 1.2 Mt/a and production (e.g. ICI, BASF and Rhone-Poulenc in Europe) is based on the hydrogenation of adiponitrile, largely obtained by catalytic addition of HCN to butadiene. Celanese produced hexamethylenediamine by reaction of ammonia with hexane-1,6-diol, coming from the hydrogenation of adipic acid. However, production by this method was abandoned in 1984. 

H2N (CH2)a NH2- Colourless solid when pure m.p. 4LC, b.p. 204 C. Manufactured by the electrochemical combination of two molecules of acrylonitrile to adiponitrile followed by catalytic reduction, or by a series of steps from cyclohexanone via adipic acid. Used in the production of Nylon [6, 6]. 

The by-product of this process, pelargonic acid [112-05-0] is also an item of commerce. The usual source of sebacic acid [111-20-6] for nylon-6,10 [9008-66-6] is also from a natural product, ticinoleic acid [141-22-0] (12-hydroxyoleic acid), isolated from castor oil [8001-79-4]. The acid reacts with excess sodium or potassium hydroxide at high temperatures (250—275°C) to produce sebacic acid and 2-octanol [123-96-6] (166) by cleavage at the 9,10-unsaturated position. The manufacture of dodecanedioic acid [693-23-2] for nylon-6,12 begins with the catalytic trimerization of butadiene to make cyclododecatriene [4904-61-4] followed by reduction to cyclododecane [294-62-2] (see Butadiene). The cyclododecane is oxidatively cleaved to dodecanedioic acid in a process similar to that used in adipic acid production. 

The production of alcohols by the catalytic hydrogenation of carboxylic acids in gas-liquid-particle operation has been described. The process may be based on fixed-bed or on slurry-bed operation. It may be used, for example, for the production of hexane-1,6-diol by the reduction of an aqueous solution of adipic acid, and for the production of a mixture of hexane-1,6-diol, pentane-1,5-diol, and butane-1,4-diol by the reduction of a reaction mixture resulting from cyclohexane oxidation (CIO). 

Nitrous oxide has received increasing attention the last decade, due to the growing awareness of its impact on the environment, as it has been identified as an ozone depletion agent and as a Greenhouse gas [1]. Identified major sources include adipic acid production, nitric acid and fertilizer plants, fossil fuel and biomass combustion and de-NOx treatment techniques, like three-way catalysis and selective catalytic reduction [2,3]. 

The total hydrogenation of benzene derivatives represents an important industrial catalytic transformation, in particular with the conversion of benzene into cyclohexane, a key intermediate in adipic acid synthesis, which is used in the production of Nylon-6,6 (Scheme 1). This reaction is still the most important industrial hydrogenation reaction of monocyclic arenes [1]. 

The retentive power of graphite towards adipic acid and the catalytic effect of the magnetite, especially present in A, are obvious. TEM examinations of a graphite A sample before and after reaction showed that crystallites of Fe304 appeared to be smaller after the reaction. However, the same graphite sample was reused for three successive reactions without significant loss in yield. When applied to the synthesis of other cyclic ketones (Scheme 7.14), less volatile than 74, it was observed that pressure had an effect on the recovery of product (Tab. 7.9, entries 3 and 4). A slightly reduced pressure (300 mm Hg) was necessary to obtain 3-methylcyclopentanone (75) or cyclohexanone (76) in convenient yield (Tab. 7.9, entries 4 and 5). For the cycliza-tion of suberic acid (73), a less favorable structure, the yield in cycloheptanone (77) remained low (Tab. 7.9, entry 6). 

Oxidation of -hexane with Co AlPO-18 with 10% rather than 4% of the framework AP ions replaced with Co resulted in a dramatic enhancement in the formation of adipic acid [65]. It was argued that in these catalysts two Co ions are ideally separated by 7-8 A on the inner wall of the zeolite, allowing both methyl groups unfettered access to catalytically active sites. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that 1,6-hexanediol and 1,6-hexanedial served as precursors to the adipic acid. On the other hand, 1-hexanol, hexanoic acid, and hexanal, which were also formed in the reaction, did not serve as precursors for the adipic acid. It is tempting to suggest that the mono-oxidized hexane products were produced in regions of the zeolite where simultaneous access to two catalytically active sites was not possible. 

Adipic acid (1,4-butanedicarboxylic acid) is used for the production of nylon-6,6 and may be produced from the oxidation of cyclohexane as shown in structure 17.1. Cyclohexane is obtained by the Raney nickel catalytic hydrogenation of benzene. Both the cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone are oxidized to adipic acid by heating with nitric acid. 

Palladium catalyst stability, recovery and recycle are the key to viable commercial technology. Continuous palladium recovery and recycle at 99.9% efficiency is critical to the economics of the process. Traditional catalyst recovery methods fail since the adipic acid precursor, dimethyl hex- -enedioate, is high boiling and the palladium catalytic species are thermally unstable above 125 C. Because of this problem, a non-traditional solvent extraction approach to catalyst recovery has been worked out and implemented at the pilot plant scale. Since patents have not issued, process detail on catalyst separation, secondary palladium recovery, and product recovery cannot be included in this review. 

An important goal is, therefore, to develop effective methods for catalytic oxidations with dioxygen, under mild conditions in the liquid phase. Two substrates which are often chosen as models for alkane oxidations are cyclohexane and adamantane. Cyclohexane is of immense industrial importance as its oxidation products - cyclohexanone and adipic acid - are the raw materials for the manufacture of nylon-6 and nylon-6,6. Adamantane is an interesting substrate as the ratio of oxidation at the secondary versus the tertiary C-H bonds is used as a measure of radical versus nonradical oxidation pathways. Industrial processes for the oxidation of cyclohexane, to a mixture of cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone, generally involve low conversions (under 10%). Even at such low conversions, selectivities are modest (70-80%) and substantial amounts of overoxidation products, mostly dicarboxylic acids, are formed. 

Separation of benzene/cyclohexane mixture is investigated most extensively. This is not surprising because separation of this mixture is very important in practical terms. Benzene is used to produce a broad range of valuable chemical products styrene (polystyrene plastics and synthetic rubber), phenol (phenolic resins), cyclohexane (nylon), aniline, maleic anhydride (polyester resins), alkylbenzenes and chlorobenzenes, drugs, dyes, plastics, and as a solvent. Cyclohexane is used as a solvent in the plastics industry and in the conversion of the intermediate cyclohexanone, a feedstock for nylon precursors such as adipic acid. E-caprolactam, and hexamethylenediamine. Cyclohexane is produced mainly by catalytic hydrogenation of benzene. The unreacted benzene is present in the reactor s effluent stream and must be removed for pure cyclohexane recovery. 

Grade Nylon 66 is a condensation product of adipic acid and hexamethylenediamine developed by Car-others in 1935. Adipic acid is obtained by catalytic oxidation of cyclohexane. Nylon 6 is a polymer of caprolactam, originated by I. G. Farbenindustrie in 1940. Nylon 4 is based on butyrolactam (2-pyrroli-done) its tenacity, abrasion resistance, and melting point are said to be about the same as for the 6 and 66 grades. It has excellent dyeability. Nylon 610 (TM Tynex ) is obtained by condensation of sebacic acid and hexamethylenediamine, and nylon 11 (TM Rilsan ) from castor bean oil (developed in France). Nylon 12 (also called Rilsan 12) is made... 

The significance of the reaction of phenol with hydrogen has a number of important facets. First, the selective hydrogenation of phenol yields cyclohexanone, which is a key raw material in the production of both caprolactam for nylon 6 and adipic acid for nylon 6 . Second, due to the fact that phenol is an environmental toxin and phenolic waste has a variety of origins from industrial sources including oil refineries, petrochemical units, polymeric resin manufacturing and plastic units , catalytic hydrogenation of phenol is nowadays the best practicable environmental option . ... 

When this method is applied to cyclohexanone, it produces a mixture of 50% adipic acid, 19% glutaric acid, and 3% succinic acid. Further work is needed to steer the reaction to a high yield of the desired adipic acid. A chromium aluminum phosphate molecular sieve has been used with oxygen and a catalytic amount of a hydroperoxide to convert cyclohexane to a mixture of 48% cyclohexanone, 5% cyclohexanol, 6% cyclohexanehydroperoxide, and 40% adipic acid, at 10% conversion. The catalyst could be reused four times without loss of activity.205 Presumably, the products other than adipic acid could be recycled to the next run. The authors do not give the selectivity at higher conversions. Ideally, one would like a similar system that would give only adipic acid at 100% conversion. 

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