Anthraquinone, manufacture

Interest has continued in on-site manufacture of hydrogen peroxide from the elements, particularly for remote sites located considerable distances from wodd-scale anthraquinone processes. However, no commercial-scale direct combination plants have been constmcted as of this writing. 

Use of mercuric catalysts has created a serious pollution problem thereby limiting the manufacture of such acids. Other catalysts such as palladium or mthenium have been proposed (17). Nitration of anthraquinone has been studied intensively in an effort to obtain 1-nitroanthraquinone [82-34-8] suitable for the manufacture of 1-aminoanthraquinone [82-45-1]. However, the nitration proceeds so rapidly that a mixture of mono- and dinitroanthraquinone is produced. It has not been possible, economically, to separate from this mixture 1-nitroanthraquinone in a yield and purity suitable for the manufacture of 1-aminoanthraquinone. Chlorination of anthraquinone cannot be used to manufacture 1-chloroanthraquinone [82-44-0] since polychlorinated products are formed readily. Consequentiy, 1-chloroanthraquinone is manufactured by reaction of anthraquinone-l-sulfonic acid [82-49-5] with sodium chlorate and hydrochloric acid (18). 

In Europe, where an abundant supply of anthracene has usually been available, the preferred method for the manufacture of anthraquinone has been, and stiU is, the catalytic oxidation of anthracene. The main problem has been that of obtaining anthracene, C H q, practically free of such contaminants as carbazole and phenanthrene. Many processes have been developed for the purification of anthracene. Generally these foUow the scheme of taking the cmde anthracene oil, redistilling, and recrystaUizing it from a variety of solvents, such as pyridine (22). The purest anthracene may be obtained by azeotropic distillation with ethylene glycol (23). 

A continuous process has been described for the manufacture of anthraquinone by the Diels-Alder reaction (49). 

In the dyestuff industry, anthraquinone still ranks high as an intermediate for the production of dyes and pigments having properties unattainable by any other class of dyes or pigments. Its cost is relatively high and will remain so because of the equipment and operations involved in its manufacture. As of May 1991, anthraquinone sold for 4.4/kg in ton quantities. In the United States and abroad, anthraquinone is manufactured by a few large chemical companies (62). At present, only two processes for its production come into consideration manufacture by the Friedel-Crafts reaction utilizing benzene, phthahc anhydride, and anhydrous aluminum chloride, and by the vapor-phase catalytic oxidation of anthracene the latter method is preferred. 

Dyes, Dye Intermediates, and Naphthalene. Several thousand different synthetic dyes are known, having a total worldwide consumption of 298 million kg/yr (see Dyes AND dye intermediates). Many dyes contain some form of sulfonate as —SO H, —SO Na, or —SO2NH2. Acid dyes, solvent dyes, basic dyes, disperse dyes, fiber-reactive dyes, and vat dyes can have one or more sulfonic acid groups incorporated into their molecular stmcture. The raw materials used for the manufacture of dyes are mainly aromatic hydrocarbons (67—74) and include ben2ene, toluene, naphthalene, anthracene, pyrene, phenol (qv), pyridine, and carba2ole. Anthraquinone sulfonic acid is an important dye intermediate and is prepared by sulfonation of anthraquinone using sulfur trioxide and sulfuric acid. 

Sources of Raw Materials. Coal tar results from the pyrolysis of coal (qv) and is obtained chiefly as a by-product in the manufacture of coke for the steel industry (see Coal, carbonization). Products recovered from the fractional distillation of coal tar have been the traditional organic raw material for the dye industry. Among the most important are ben2ene (qv), toluene (qv), xylene naphthalene (qv), anthracene, acenaphthene, pyrene, pyridine (qv), carba2ole, phenol (qv), and cresol (see also Alkylphenols Anthraquinone Xylenes and ethylbenzenes). 

In the anthraquinone series, apart from the special case of the amination of leucoquinizarin, sulfonic acid and nitro are the preferred leaving groups. 1-Aminoanthraquinone is manufactured from anthraquinone-l-sulfonic acid or 1-nitroanthraquinone, and 2-amino anthraquinone (betamine) from anthraquinone-2-sulfonic acid. 

Subsequendy, H. Caro and W. H. Perkin independendy developed the commercial manufacturing process of alizarin from anthraquinone (qv) through anthraquinone-2-sulfonic acid. Taking advantage of these inventions, many manufacturers came to produce various kinds of hydroxyanthraquinones, which were used as mordant dyes for dyeing cotton and wool. 

The manufacturing process of anthraquinone vat dyes is more compHcated, and, in the extreme case of Cl Vat Blue 64 [15935-52-1] (12) (Cl 66730), requites 11 steps starting from phthaUc anhydride. 

World dye manufacturers have already begun to develop new types of dyes that can replace the anthraquinones technically and economically (1). Some successful examples can be found in a2o disperse red and blue dyes. Examples are brilliant red [68353-96-6] and Cl Disperse Blue 165 [41642-51 -7] (Cl 11077). They have come close to the level of anthraquinone reds and blues, respectively, in terms of brightness. In the reactive dye area intensive studies have continued to develop triphenodioxa2ine compounds, eg, (13), which are called new blues, to replace anthraquinone blues. In this representation R designates the substituents having reactive groups (see Dyes, reactive). 

Efforts to raise the alpha-selectivity have been made. Thus nitration of anthraquinone using nitrogen dioxide and ozone has been reported (17). l-Amino-4-bromoanthraquinone-2-sulfonic acid (bromamine acid) [116-81 -4] (8) is the most important intermediate for manufacturing reactive and acid dyes. Bromamine acid is manufactured from l-aminoanthraquinone-2-sulfonic acid [83-62-5] (19) by bromination in aqueous medium (18—20), or in concentrated sulfuric acid (21). l-Aminoanthraquinone-2-sulfonic acid is prepared from l-aminoanthraquinone by sulfonation in an inert, high boiling point organic solvent (22), or in oleum with sodium sulfate (23). 

Dihydroxyanthraquinone. This anthraquinone, also known as quinizarin [81-64-1] (29), is of great importance in manufacturing disperse, acid, and vat dyes. It is manufactured by condensation of phthalic anhydride (27) with 4-chlorophenol [106-48-9] (28) in oleum in the presence of boric acid or boron trifluoride (40,41). Improved processes for reducing waste acid have been reported (42), and yield is around 80% on the basis of 4-chlorophenol. 

Anthraquinone-l-sulfonic acid and Its Derivatives. Anthraquinone-l-sulfonic acid [82-49-5] (16) has become less competitive than 1-nitroanthraquinone as the intermediate for 1-aminoanthraquinone. However, it still has a great importance as an intermediate for manufacturing vat dyes via 1-chloroanthraquinone. 

Chloroanthraquinone [82-44-0] (41) is an intermediate for manufacturing vat dyes such as Cl Vat Brown 1. 1-Chloroanthraquinone is prepared by chlorination of anthraquinone-l-sulfonic acid with sodium chlorate in hydrochloric acid at elevated temperature (61). An alternative route from 1-nitroanthraquinone (18) using elemental chlorine at high temperature has been reported (62). 

Anthraquinone-a,a -disulfonic acids and Related Compounds. Anthraquinone-a,a -disulfonic acids and their derivatives are important intermediates for manufacturing disperse blue dyes (via 1,5-, or 1,8-dihydroxyanthraquinone, or 1,5-dichloroanthraquinone) and vat dyes (via... 

Production Capacity and Demand. The production capacity for each dye or dye intermediate has rarely been aimounced officially by the individual manufacturers. However, the world demand of anthraquinone colorants can be roughly estimated as in Table 13 and, more specifically, in Figure 13. Principal manufacturers of anthraquinone dyes and their intermediates are as follows ... 

In addition to these, some anthraquinone dyes and their intermediates are also produced in Eastern Europe, Russia, China, and Korea. As the result of the history of anthraquinone chemistry, most manufacturers are still located in Western Europe. Most former manufacturers in the United States abandoned the dyestuff business or were acquired by European companies by the middle of the 1980s. 

Anthraquinone dyes have been produced for many decades and have covered a wide range of dye classes. In spite of the complexity of production and relatively high costs, they have played an important role in the areas where excellent properties ate requited, because they have excellent lightfastness and leveling properties with brUhant shades that ate not attainable with other chtomophotes. However, recent increases in environmental costs have become a serious problem, and future prospects for the anthraquinone dye industry ate not optimistic. Some traditional manufacturers have stopped the production of a certain dye class or dye intermediates that were especially burdened by environmental costs, eg, vat dyes and their intermediates derived from anthraquinone-l-sulfonic acid and 1,5-disulfonic acid. However, several manufacturers have succeeded in process improvement and continue production, even expanding their capacity. In the forthcoming century the woddwide framework of production will change drastically. 

This process was not acceptable for several reasons low yields, poor quaUty, and the high cost of bromine. Later, at BASF, a process was developed for the manufacture of ali2artn by the caustic fusion of anthraquinone-2-sulfonic acid (so-called silver salt) which was made by sulfonating anthraquinone with sulfuric acid. This process was patented in England on the 25th of June, 1869. One day later, W. Perkin appHed for a patent for the manufacture of ali2ariQ by a process almost identical to the German process except that the "silver salt" was prepared as follows ... 

Anthraquinone is widely use in the manufacture of a range of dyes. Two possible routes for manufacturing anthraquinone are (1) from the reaction of 1,4-naphthoquinone with butadiene and (2) reaction of benzene with phthalic anhydride. Describe mechanisms for both these reactions and identify likely reaction conditions and any other reagents required. Compare the atom economy of the two routes. Identify three factors for each route that may influence the commercial viability. 

An example of industrial interest is the benzanthrone (9) synthesis. Benzan-throne derivatives are manufactured by cathodically reducing anthraquinone derivatives that may contain electronegative substituents [61]. In the cathode compartment the reduction of anthraquinone (7) in 85% H2S04 to oxanthrone (8) occurs which in presence of glycerol reacts to form benzanthrone (9), which is an important dye intermediate [40, 61]. 

Heavy metals are widely used as catalysts in the manufacture of anthraquinonoid dyes. Mercury is used when sulphonating anthraquinones and copper when reacting arylamines with bromoanthraquinones. Much effort has been devoted to minimising the trace metal content of such colorants and in effluents from dyemaking plants. Metal salts are used as reactants in dye synthesis, particularly in the ranges of premetallised acid, direct or reactive dyes, which usually contain copper, chromium, nickel or cobalt. These structures are described in detail in Chapter 5, where the implications in terms of environmental problems are also discussed. Certain basic dyes and stabilised azoic diazo components (Fast Salts) are marketed in the form of tetrachlorozincate complex salts. The environmental impact of the heavy metal salts used in dye application processes is dealt with in Volume 2. 

Anthraquinone dyes tend to predominate in the violet, blue and green hue sectors. Although they have the advantages of brightness and chemical stability, they are more expensive to manufacture than are azo dyes, which are also tinctorially stronger. 

Anthraquinone dyes are second only to azo dyes in importance as disperse dyes and are predominant in the red, violet, blue and blue-green sectors [14]. Because anthraquinone disperse dyes are relatively expensive to manufacture, successful attempts were made to replace some of them with technically equivalent and more economical products [15]. The replacement process has been most successful in the red region using, for example, heterocyclic azo dyes and novel chromogens. The brilliance of the anthraquinones with their narrow spectral absorption bands is difficult to attain with other structures, however, as is their high light fastness and chemical stability. The development of anthraquinone disperse dyes is included in a review by Dawson [16]. 

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