Caprolactam yield

A detailed examination of the effects of operation conditions on boria on alumina catalyst performance and lifetime is reported in this paper, in an attempt to further elucidate the important parameters controlling optimisation and maintenance of caprolactam yield. 

Fig-1, (a) oxime conversion, (+ ) ceprolactam selectivity and ( ) caprolactam yield with time using 0.1 g boria on alumina catalyst at a reaction temperature of 300 C. 

Oligomers of this structure were found in polymers prepared at low temperature. [92, 150]. Bifunctional activators, e.g. terephthaloyl-bis-caprolactam, yield molecules with two growing end groups... 

Bockhom et al. [28] used a liquid catalyst composed of a eutectic mixture of 60 mol% NaOH and 40 mol% KOH, which melts at 185X. At 290°C the caprolactam yield exceeded 95%. At this temperature the polypropylene is not degraded significantly. Based on a preliminary feasibihty study, this process could be economically viable [29],... 

Condensation polymerisation of nylon salt or an addition polymerisation of e-caprolactam yields polymers having a carboxyl group and an amino group at either end of the chain. If we express the mole number of the carboxyl and amino groups per one gram of the sample by [COOH] and [NHt], is given by ... 

Lastly, reference may be made to the use of the iV-acyllactam-ended oligomer (41), itself prepared with the aid of several of the reactions already discussed, as an activator for the anionic polymerization of a-caprolactam, yielding PDMS-nylon 6 block copolymers. ... 

Enzymatic hydrolysis is also used for the preparation of L-amino acids. Racemic D- and L-amino acids and their acyl-derivatives obtained chemically can be resolved enzymatically to yield their natural L-forms. Aminoacylases such as that from Pispergillus OTj e specifically hydrolyze L-enantiomers of acyl-DL-amino acids. The resulting L-amino acid can be separated readily from the unchanged acyl-D form which is racemized and subjected to further hydrolysis. Several L-amino acids, eg, methionine [63-68-3], phenylalanine [63-91-2], tryptophan [73-22-3], and valine [72-18-4] have been manufactured by this process in Japan and production costs have been reduced by 40% through the appHcation of immobilized cell technology (75). Cyclohexane chloride, which is a by-product in nylon manufacture, is chemically converted to DL-amino-S-caprolactam [105-60-2] (23) which is resolved and/or racemized to (24)... 

Benzoic Acid. Ben2oic acid is manufactured from toluene by oxidation in the liquid phase using air and a cobalt catalyst. Typical conditions are 308—790 kPa (30—100 psi) and 130—160°C. The cmde product is purified by distillation, crystallization, or both. Yields are generally >90 mol%, and product purity is generally >99%. Kalama Chemical Company, the largest producer, converts about half of its production to phenol, but most producers consider the most economic process for phenol to be peroxidation of cumene. Other uses of benzoic acid are for the manufacture of benzoyl chloride, of plasticizers such as butyl benzoate, and of sodium benzoate for use in preservatives. In Italy, Snia Viscosa uses benzoic acid as raw material for the production of caprolactam, and subsequendy nylon-6, by the sequence shown below. 

Benzene is alkylated with propylene to yield cumene (qv). Cumene is catalytically oxidized in the presence of air to cumene hydroperoxide, which is decomposed into phenol and acetone (qv). Phenol is used to manufacture caprolactam (nylon) and phenoHc resins such as bisphenol A. Approximately 22% of benzene produced in 1988 was used to manufacture cumene. 

AH commercial processes for the manufacture of caprolactam ate based on either toluene or benzene, each of which occurs in refinery BTX-extract streams (see BTX processing). Alkylation of benzene with propylene yields cumene (qv), which is a source of phenol and acetone ca 10% of U.S. phenol is converted to caprolactam. Purified benzene can be hydrogenated over platinum catalyst to cyclohexane nearly aH of the latter is used in the manufacture of nylon-6 and nylon-6,6 chemical intermediates. A block diagram of the five main process routes to caprolactam from basic taw materials, eg, hydrogen (which is usuaHy prepared from natural gas) and sulfur, is given in Eigute 2. 

Concentrations are controlled to yield a molten oxime product layer and a saturated (ca 40 wt %) ammonium sulfate solution ca 125% (theoretical) ammonium sulfate or 2.9 kg/kg caprolactam is produced as a result of side reactions in the hydroxylamine synthesis. 

Cyclohexanone oxime is converted quantitatively to caprolactam by Beckmann rearrangement in the presence of oleum, which is of sufficient strength to consume the several percent water in the molten oxime. The reaction mass is neutralized with aqueous ammonia to a cmde caprolactam layer and a saturated solution of ammonium sulfate. Approximately 1.5 kg of the total 4.4 kg ammonium sulfate per kilogram of caprolactam is produced in this step. Purification is by multistage vacuum crystallization from aqueous solution in neatly quantitative yield. 

Toray. The photonitrosation of cyclohexane or PNC process results in the direct conversion of cyclohexane to cyclohexanone oxime hydrochloride by reaction with nitrosyl chloride in the presence of uv light (15) (see Photochemical technology). Beckmann rearrangement of the cyclohexanone oxime hydrochloride in oleum results in the evolution of HCl, which is recycled to form NOCl by reaction with nitrosylsulfuric acid. The latter is produced by conventional absorption of NO from ammonia oxidation in oleum. Neutralization of the rearrangement mass with ammonia yields 1.7 kg ammonium sulfate per kilogram of caprolactam. Purification is by vacuum distillation. The novel chemistry is as follows ... 

Snia Viscosa. Catalytic air oxidation of toluene gives benzoic acid (qv) in ca 90% yield. The benzoic acid is hydrogenated over a palladium catalyst to cyclohexanecarboxyhc acid [98-89-5]. This is converted directiy to cmde caprolactam by nitrosation with nitrosylsulfuric acid, which is produced by conventional absorption of NO in oleum. Normally, the reaction mass is neutralized with ammonia to form 4 kg ammonium sulfate per kilogram of caprolactam (16). In a no-sulfate version of the process, the reaction mass is diluted with water and is extracted with an alkylphenol solvent. The aqueous phase is decomposed by thermal means for recovery of sulfur dioxide, which is recycled (17). The basic process chemistry is as follows ... 

The isomerization of oxaziridines (1) to acid amides with migration of a substituent from C to N is a general reaction and is always observed when no other reactions predominate under the relatively harsh conditions (heating to above 150 °C or photolysis). Even then one can make acid amide formation the main reaction by working at 300 °C (57JA5739) and by dilution techniques. For example, caprolactam (63) is formed in 88% yield by flash pyrolysis of oxaziridine (52) at about 300 °C, whereas decomposition of (52) at lower temperatures gives almost no (63) (77JPR274). 

Action of catalytic amounts of vanadium compounds on oxaziridine (52) yields caprolactam almost quantitatively. Reductive opening of the oxaziridine ring and /3-scission yield radical (118), which recyclizes with elimination of the metal ion to form the lactam (63) (77JPR274). 

Until the mid-1950s the main raw material source for the European plastics industry was coal. On destructive distillation coal yields four products coal tar, coke, coal gas and ammonia. Coal tar was an important source of aromatic chemicals such as benzene, toluene, phenol, naphthalene and related products. From these materials other chemicals such as adipic acid, hexamethylenedia-mine, caprolactam and phthalic anhydride could be produced, leading to such important plastics as the phenolic resins, polystyrene and the nylons. 

The conversion of cyclohexanone to cyclohexanone oxime is brought about by the use of hydroxylamine sulphate. The sulphuric acid is neutralised with ammonia to ammonium sulphate and this is separated from the oxime. In the presence of oleum the oxime undergoes the process known as the Beckmann rearrangement to yield the crude caprolactam. After further neutralisation with ammonia the caprolactam and further ammonium sulphate are separated by solvent extraction (Figure 18.7). 

The opening of the caprolactam ring for nylon 6 involves an equilibrium reaction which is easily catalysed by water. In the case of nylon 12 from dodecanelactam, higher temperatures, i.e. above 260°C, are necessary for opening the ring structures but since in this case the condensation is not an equilibrium reaction the process will yield almost 100% of high polymer. ... 

The first question can be answered relatively simply (although not completely exactly) from the available factual material. If the pK value of the lactam is taken as a criterion, the border of reactivity lies at about pK 12. Valerolactam and caprolactam react just noticeably with diazomethane (yields 14 and 7%). However, it should be noticed that catalysts are frequently necessary in order to initiate the reaction (methanol, water, aluminum isopropylate," fluoboric acid " ). For example, phthalimide does not react at all with diazomethane in ether, but a smooth reaction occurs if some methanol is added. 

Oxidation of racemic sulphoxides with an optically active W-chloro caprolactam derivative produces a good yield of the corresponding sulphone. The utility of this reaction, however, is that one enantiomer of the sulphoxide is left unreacted and so can be isolated in pure form106. 

In die case of nylon-6,6 waste recycled by ammonolysis, nylon is treated with ammonia in die presence of a phosphate catalyst. Reaction occurs at 330°C and 7 MPa. Distillation of die reaction mixture produces ammonia which is recycled and three fractions containing (a) caprolactam, (b) HMDA and aminocaproni-trile, and (c) adiponitrile. Aminocapronitrile and adiponitrile are hydrogenated to yield pure HMDA, and die caprolactam is eidier converted to aminocapronitrile by further ammonolysis or distilled to produce pure caprolactam. The HMDA produced by this process is extremely pure (>99.8).1 The main impurities are aminomediylcyclopentylaniiiie and tetrahydroazepine, which are expected to be removed more effectively in the larger distillation columns employed in the larger plants. 

Sodium hydroxide has been used successfully as a catalyst for the base-catalyzed depolymerization of nylon-6. At 250°C, a pressure of 400 Pa, and a sodium hydroxide content of 1%, the yield of e-caprolactam was 90.5%.49... 

Ny lon-6 (108 g) carpet backed with calcium-carbonate-filled latex and polypropylene was charged to a 1000-mL three-neck round-bottom flask (equipped with a condenser) with 6 mL of 85% phosphoric acid. Superheated steam was injected continuously during a 45-min period. The vapor temperature of the reaction medium was 250-300°C. The volume of distillate collected was 1065 mL. The distillate contained 1.9% e-caprolactam (as determined by GC), which corresponded to a crude yield of 37.5%. The distillate was fractionated in a distillation column and the nonaqueous phase removed. The remaining aqueous phase was treated with 2% potassium permanganate at 40-50°C for 2 h. Evaporation of... 

In analogy, Ugi et al. reported on a lactam formation by running a one-pot three components reaction the condensation of L-lysine 7, isobutyraldehyde and methyl isocyanide led to the corresponding a-amino-c-caprolactam 9, but the yield was not given. The authors presumed either a nucleophilic substitution of the ester 8 as the primary Ugi product by the amino function of the side chain or, alternatively, the nucleophilic attack of the NH2-group on an intermediately formed 0-acylamide and a subsequent rearrangement (Scheme 1) [4]. 

Under forced conditions, the reductive cyclization of a 6-oximeester at 150 °C gave a simple c-caprolactam in about 60% yield [5a]. A preliminary chemoen-... 

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