Cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone

Cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone are produced from phenol as intermediates for synthetic fibers (Nylon 66, Nylon 6) obtained via adipic acid and caprolactam respectively. 

1 Phenol vaporizer 2 Reactor 3 Cyclohexanol separator 4 Fore-runnings column 5 Cyclohexanol column 

Phenol is vaporized with recycled and make-up hydrogen and hydrogenated by excess hydrogen at temperatures of 120 to 200 °C and 20 bar on silica or aluminum oxide catalysts, which are modified with nickel. The cyclohexanol is separated by condensation. The yield of cyclohexanol is almost quantitative. 

Cyclohexanone on the other hand is produced on a larger scale from phenol by catalytic hydrogenation. Phenol is fed in the gas phase with hydrogen at 140 to 170 °C, through a catalyst bed at atmospheric pressure. The catalyst generally contains palladium, in concentrations of 0.2 to 0.5 wt% on a zeolite carrier. The yield is over 95% at quantitative conversion. 

As a possible alternative, hydrogenation can be carried out in the liquid phase at 175 °C and a pressure of 13 bar on Pd/activated carbon catalysts Allied-Signal). 

---

Cyclohexane. The LPO of cyclohexane [110-82-7] suppUes much of the raw materials needed for nylon-6 and nylon-6,6 production. Cyclohexanol (A) and cyclohexanone (K) maybe produced selectively by using alow conversion process with multiple stages (228—232). The reasons for low conversion and multiple stages (an approach to plug-flow operation) are apparent from Eigure 2. Several catalysts have been reported. The selectivity to A as well as the overall process efficiency can be improved by using boric acid (2,232,233). K/A mixtures are usually oxidized by nitric acid in a second step to adipic acid (233) (see Cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone). 

Reactions. The most important commercial reaction of cyclohexane is its oxidation (ia Hquid phase) with air ia the presence of soluble cobalt catalyst or boric acid to produce cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone (see Hydrocarbon oxidation Cyclohexanoland cyclohexanone). Cyclohexanol is dehydrogenated with 2iac or copper catalysts to cyclohexanone which is used to manufacture caprolactam (qv). 

Dilute nitric acid can be used to oxidize an aliphatic hydrocarbon. For example, a significant use for nitric acid is the oxidation of cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone (qv) to produce adipic acid (qv). Most adipic acid is used for the production of nylon-6,6. 

Important physical properties of cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone are shown ia Table 1. Cyclohexanol is miscible ia all proportions with most organic solvents, including those customarily used ia lacquers. It dissolves many oils, waxes, gums, and resias. 

The oxidation of cyclohexane to a mixture of cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone, known as KA-od (ketone—alcohol, cyclohexanone—cyclohexanol cmde mixture), is used for most production (1). The earlier technology that used an oxidation catalyst such as cobalt naphthenate at 180—250°C at low conversions (2) has been improved. Cyclohexanol can be obtained through a boric acid-catalyzed cyclohexane oxidation at 140—180°C with up to 10% conversion (3). Unreacted cyclohexane is recycled and the product mixture is separated by vacuum distillation. The hydrogenation of phenol to a mixture of cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone is usually carried out at elevated temperatures and pressure ia either the Hquid (4) or ia the vapor phase (5) catalyzed by nickel. 

Cyclohexanol can be deterrnined colorimetricaHy by reaction with -hydroxy-ben2aldehyde in sulfuric acid (18). This method can be used in the presence of cyclohexanone and cyclohexane. Cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone both show a maximum absorbency at 535 nm but at 625 nm the absorption by cyclohexanone is negligible, whereas cyclohexanol shows appreciable absorption. 

Cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone are shipped in 208-L (55-gal) dmms, in tank cars, and tank tmcks. DOT regulations classify both cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone as combustible Hquids. Dmms containing less than 416-L (110 gal) do not require ha2ardous material labeling. Larger quantities must be labeled "Combustible Liquid" (19). The price in 1990 (for Technical, tank tmcks, deUvered) (13), was 1.87/kg for cyclohexanol and 1.70/kg for cyclohexanone. 

Cyclohexanol and Cyclohexanone SaUent Statistics," Chemical Economics Handbook SRI International, Menlo Park, Calif., June 1976. 

The alternative route involves the air oxidation of cyclohexane and proceeds via the production of a mixture of cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone often known as KA oil. It was in the cyclohexane oxidation section of the caprolactam plant of Nypro Ltd that the huge explosion occurred at Flixborough, England in 1974. 

A route to phenol has been developed starting from cyclohexane, which is first oxidised to a mixture of cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone. In one process the oxidation is carried out in the liquid phase using cobalt naphthenate as catalyst. The cyclohexanone present may be converted to cyclohexanol, in this case the desired intermediate, by catalytic hydrogenation. The cyclohexanol is converted to phenol by a catalytic process using selenium or with palladium on charcoal. The hydrogen produced in this process may be used in the conversion of cyclohexanone to cyclohexanol. It also may be used in the conversion of benzene to cyclohexane in processes where benzene is used as the precursor of the cyclohexane. 

In one approach cyclohexane is autoxidized to a mixture of cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone in the presence of a Co or Mn naphthenate catalyst. This mixture is subsequently oxidized to adipic acid using nitric acid as the oxidant in the presence of a Cu Vv catalyst. An alternative method using dioxygen in combination with Co or Mn in HOAc gives lower selectivities to adipic acid (70% vs 95%). Alternatively, autoxidation in the presence of stoichiometric amounts of boric acid produces cyclohexanol as the major product, which is subsequently oxidized to adipic acid using HNO3 in the presence of Cu Vv. The latter step produces substantial amounts of N2O as a waste product. 

Obviously, there is a definite need for cleaner, more efficient routes to adipic acid. The question which immediately arises is, naturally, what does the Amoco system do in cyclohexane oxidation In this context it is interesting to compare the relative oxidizabilities of toluene, cyclohexane, cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone (Table 2). 

Production of considerable amounts of cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone as well as benzaldehyde and benzoic acid in the oxidation of benzyl cyclohexyl ether shows the primary radical to be CgHjCHOCeHjj. Abstraction from aliphatic C-H bonds cannot occur in the case of diphenyl ether which is oxidised rapidly, and removal of a 7t-electron is likely. 

Alicyclic amines are used as pesticides, plasticizers, explosives, inhibitors of metal corrosion and sweetening agents as well as having uses in the pharmaceuticals industry. Aniline hydrogenation has been studied in the literature with the main reaction products cyclohexylamine, dicyclohexylamine, A-phenylcyclohexylamine, diphenylamine, ammonia, benzene, cyclohexane, cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone [1-9], The products formed depend on the catalyst used, reaction temperature, solvent and whether the reaction is performed in gas or liquid phase. For example high temperature, gas-phase aniline hydrogenation over Rh/Al203 produced cyclohexylamine and dicyclohexylamine as the main products [1],... 

W. B. Fisher and J. F. VanPeppen, Cyclohexanol and Cyclohexanone in Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, John Wiley Sons, Inc., New York, 1993. 

The reverse micelles stabilized by SDS retard the autoxidation of ethylbenzene [27]. It was proved that the SDS micelles catalyze hydroperoxide decomposition without the formation of free radicals. The introduction of cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone in the system decreases the rate of hydroperoxide decay (ethylbenzene, 363 K, [SDS] = 10 3mol L [cyclohexanol] =0.03 mol L-1, and [cyclohexanone] = 0.01 mol L 1 [27]). Such an effect proves that the decay of MePhCHOOH proceeds in the layer of polar molecules surrounding the micelle. The addition of alcohol or ketone lowers the hydroperoxide concentration in such a layer and, therefore, retards hydroperoxide decomposition. The surfactant AOT apparently creates such a layer around water moleculesthat is very thick and creates difficulties for the penetration of hydroperoxide molecules close to polar water. The phenomenology of micellar catalysis is close to that of heterogeneous catalysis and inhibition (see Chapters 10 and 20). 

Take another look at the cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone spectra. Both... 

It can be obtained from cyclohexane. Cyclohexane is air oxidised to yield a mixture of cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone. Cyclohexanol is dehydrogenated to cyclohexanone over copper catalyst. Cyclohexanone when treated with hydroxylamine sulphate at 20°-95°C gives an oxime. The oxime when treated with concentrated sulphuric acid undergoes Beckmann rearrangement to yield caprolactam. 

Cyclohexane is the starting point for making the chemical intermediates cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone. Other minor uses include industrial solvent applications such as cutthig fats, oils, and rubber. Cyclohexane also makes a good paint remover component. 

The selective oxidations of the terminal positions of -alkanes are an example of substrate-shape selectivity. Product-shape selectivity has been used to enhance the selectivity of the type IIaRH oxidation of cyclohexane [66-68], For example, oxidation of cyclohexane at 373 K for 8 hr using FeAlPO-31 (pore aperture 5.4 A) as a catalyst resulted in 2.5% conversion to a mixture which contained 55.3% of adipic acid and 37.3% of a mixture of cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone [68]. In contrast, oxidation under identical conditions using FeAlPO-5 (pore aperture 7.3 A) resulted in only 9.2% of adipic acid and 89.5%... 

The goal here was to find new solid catalysts for cyclohexyl hydroperoxide (chhp) decomposition in cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone. The requirement list had foreseen a study on silica-supported metals of groups 4 and 5 and the need for a heterogeneous catalyst without metal Bxiviation. 

We have also proposed, on the basis of the obtained results, mechanisms for the formation of the two major reaction products, cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone (Scheme 3.20). 

---