Cyclohexanone oxime, oxidation

Caprolactam [105-60-2] (2-oxohexamethyleiiiiriiQe, liexaliydro-2J -a2epin-2-one) is one of the most widely used chemical intermediates. However, almost all of the aimual production of 3.0 x 10 t is consumed as the monomer for nylon-6 fibers and plastics (see Fibers survey Polyamides, plastics). Cyclohexanone, which is the most common organic precursor of caprolactam, is made from benzene by either phenol hydrogenation or cyclohexane oxidation (see Cyclohexanoland cyclohexanone). Reaction with ammonia-derived hydroxjlamine forms cyclohexanone oxime, which undergoes molecular rearrangement to the seven-membered ring S-caprolactam. 

Dutch State Mines (Stamicarbon). Vapor-phase, catalytic hydrogenation of phenol to cyclohexanone over palladium on alumina, Hcensed by Stamicarbon, the engineering subsidiary of DSM, gives a 95% yield at high conversion plus an additional 3% by dehydrogenation of coproduct cyclohexanol over a copper catalyst. Cyclohexane oxidation, an alternative route to cyclohexanone, is used in the United States and in Asia by DSM. A cyclohexane vapor-cloud explosion occurred in 1975 at a co-owned DSM plant in Flixborough, UK (12) the plant was rebuilt but later closed. In addition to the conventional Raschig process for hydroxylamine, DSM has developed a hydroxylamine phosphate—oxime (HPO) process for cyclohexanone oxime no by-product ammonium sulfate is produced. Catalytic ammonia oxidation is followed by absorption of NO in a buffered aqueous phosphoric acid... 

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 ... 

Therefore, CL and die depolymerized product from which CL is regenerated contain various impurities which are present in widely fluctuating amounts depending on the reclamation processes involved. In particular, the presence of cyclohexanone, cyclohexanone oxime, octahydrophenazine, aniline, and other easily oxidized compounds affects die permanganate number. Also volatile substances such as aniline, cyclohexylamine, cyclohexanol, cyclohexanone, nitrocy-clohexanone, and aliphatic amines may also be present in the CL.22... 

The oxidation of NH3 to NH2OH forms the basis of a process for the ammoximation of cyclohexanone to the oxime because the NH2OH formed in solution readily reacts with the ketone (non-catalytically) to give the oxime (231). Table XXX (165) illustrates the conversions and selectivites obtained for a few typical ketones and aldehydes. The ammoximation of aldehydes is faster than that of ketones. The oxime selectivity is also higher. The ammoximation of cyclohexanone by this method offers a more eco-friendly alternative route to the cyclohexanone oxime intermediate for the production of Nylon-6. The current route coproduces large quantities of ammonium sulfate and involves the use of hazardous chemicals such as oleum, halides, and oxides of nitrogen. 

Scheme 7.9 Hydrolysis of cyclohexanone oxime to hydroxylamine with nitric oxide formation.

Caprolactam is discussed more completely in Chapter 11, Section 5. It is made from cyclohexane by oxidation to cyclohexanone-cyclohexanol mixture, formation of cyclohexanone oxime, and acid-catalyzed rearrangement. 

Since the question of the necessary conditions for isomerization of nitroso-cyclohexane to cyclohexanone oxime is of considerable commercial importance, it has been shown that this tautomerization is favored by the presence of gaseous hydrogen chloride, particularly at a wavelength of 300 mp. [57]. When cyclohexane is saturated with hydrogen chloride, treated with nitric oxide, and exposed to a source of ultraviolet radiation, the oxime forms along with a trace of 1-chloro-l-nitrosocyclohexane [58]. Cyclooctane seems to form the corresponding oxime and the chloronitroso compound, but under no circumstances nitrosocyclooctane [58]. 

In 1987, the successful startup of a new process was announced for the production of 10,000 tons/year of catechol and hydroquinone by the selective oxidation of phenol with H202 catalyzed by TS-1 at the Enichem plant in Ravenna, Italy (Notari, 1988). Soon thereafter, it was disclosed that another new process for the production of cyclohexanone oxime from cyclohexanone, H202, and NH3 with TS-1 as the catalyst was being developed (Roffia et al., 1990).The fact that a material with unusual catalytic properties had been obtained was then finally recognized, and the interest in titanium-containing catalysts spread rapidly in the scientific community, especially in industrial research laboratories. In the meantime, the synthesis method was studied and described in more detail and when all the necessary precautions were taken, TS-1 was reproduced in other laboratories, as were the highly selective catalytic reactions. The subsequent work confirmed that Ti v can assume the tetrahedral coordination necessary for isomorphous substitution of SiIV and added valuable information about the structure, properties and catalytic performance of the material. New reactions catalyzed by TS-1 have been discovered, and new synthetic methods... 

There is, as is well known, a close similarity between the crystalline and porous structures of silicalite-1 and silicalite-2. The same similarity therefore exists between TS-1 and TS-2, and it appears logical that they should have very similar catalytic properties. TS-2 has been evaluated as a catalyst for many different reactions, such as Beckmann rearrangement of cyclohexanone oxime with vapor-phase reactants H202 oxidation of phenol, anisole, benzene, toluene, n-hexane, and cyclohexane and ammoximation of cyclohexanone. As described in detail in Section V.C.3, differences that had been claimed between the catalytic properties of TS-1 and those of TS-2 have not been substantiated. Later investigations have shown that, when all the relevant parameters are identical, the catalytic activities of TS-1 and TS-2 are also identical. The small differences in the crystalline structure between the two materials have no influence on their catalytic properties (Tuel et al., 1993a). 

Another process is the conversion of toluene into caprolactam that provides an alternative basic building block for this chemical other than benzene. Toluene is oxidized to benzoic acid, and hydrogenation to cyclohexanecar-boxylic acid is followed by treatment with nitrosylsulfuric acid to form cyclohexanone oxime followed by rearrangement to caprolactam. 

Several oxidative routes are available to change cyclohexane to cyclohexanone, cyclohexanol, and ultimately to adipic acid or caprolactam. If phenol is hydrogenated, cyclohexanone can be obtained directly this will react with hydroxylamine to give cyclohexanone oxime that converts to caprolactam on acid rearrangement. Cyclohexane can also be converted to adipic acid, then adiponitrile, which can be converted to hexamethylenedi-amine. Adipic acid and hexamethylenediamine are used to form nylon 6,6. This route to hexamethylenediamine is competitive with alternative routes through butene. 

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