Ethylene oxide, from ethyl alcohol

Since 1960, the Hquid-phase oxidation of ethylene has been the process of choice for the manufacture of acetaldehyde. There is, however, stiU some commercial production by the partial oxidation of ethyl alcohol and hydration of acetylene. The economics of the various processes are strongly dependent on the prices of the feedstocks. Acetaldehyde is also formed as a coproduct in the high temperature oxidation of butane. A more recently developed rhodium catalyzed process produces acetaldehyde from synthesis gas as a coproduct with ethyl alcohol and acetic acid (83—94). 

The chemical uses for ethylene prior to World War II were limited, for the most part, to ethylene glycol and ethyl alcohol. After the war, the demand for styrene and polyethylene took off, stimulating ethylene production and olefin plant construction. Todays list of chemical applications for ethylene reads like the WTiat s What of petrochemicals polyethylene, ethylbenzene (a precursor to styrene), ethylene dichloride, vinyl chloride, ethylene oxide, ethylene glycol, ethyl alcohol, vinyl acetate, alpha olefins, and linear alcohols are some of the more commercial derivatives of ethylene. The consumer products derived from these chemicals are found everywhere, from soap to construction materials to plastic products to synthetic motor oils. 

A considerable wood hydrolysis industry with rather old traditions is located in the Soviet Union. The main fermentation product based on hexoses in wood hydrolyzates is ethyl alcohol, but pentoses and aliphatic acids can also be utilized in the production of proteins (see Section 10.2.3). A variety of chemicals, including ethylene, ethylene oxide, acetaldehyde, and acetic acid, can be produced from ethyl alcohol. One interesting future application of ethyl alcohol concerns its use as a motor fuel mixed with gasoline (gasohol). 

Other by-products include acetone, carbonaceous material, and polymers of propylene. Minor contaminants arise from impurities in the feed. Ethylene and butylenes can form traces of ethyl alcohol and 2-butanol. Small amounts of / -propyl alcohol carried through into the refined isopropyl alcohol can originate from cyclopropane [75-19-4] in the propylene feed. Acetone, an oxidation product, also forms from thermal decomposition of the intermediate sulfate esters, eg. 

Hydration of Ethyl Ether. Using the same type of acid catalysts as in the hydration of ethylene to ethanol, ethyl ether can be hydrated to the alcohol. Catalysts that have been used for the hydration of ether include phosphoric acid (144), sulfuric acid (145,146), hydrochloric acid (147), metallic oxides (141,148,149) and sihcates (150). Sulfuric acid concentrations ranging from 5—25% at 200°C (144) to 63—70% at 110—135°C and 1.01—1.42 MPa (10—14 atm) (148) have been claimed. 

Purely parallel reactions are e.g. competitive reactions which are frequently carried out purposefully, with the aim of estimating relative reactivities of reactants these will be discussed elsewhere (Section IV.E). Several kinetic studies have been made of noncompetitive parallel reactions. The examples may be parallel formation of benzene and methylcyclo-pentane by simultaneous dehydrogenation and isomerization of cyclohexane on rhenium-paladium or on platinum catalysts on suitable supports (88, 89), parallel formation of mesityl oxide, acetone, and phorone from diacetone alcohol on an acidic ion exchanger (41), disproportionation of amines on alumina, accompanied by olefin-forming elimination (20), dehydrogenation of butane coupled with hydrogenation of ethylene or propylene on a chromia-alumina catalyst (24), or parallel formation of ethyl-, methylethyl-, and vinylethylbenzene from diethylbenzene on faujasite (89a). 

Bromoacetic acid has been prepared by direct bromination of acetic acid at elevated temperatures and pressures,2-3-4 or with dry hydrogen chloride as a catalyst 6 and with red phosphorus as a catalyst with the formation of bromoacetyl bromide.6-7-8-9-19 Bromoacetic acid has also been prepared from chloroacetic acid and hydrogen bromide at elevated temperatures 6 by oxidation of ethylene bromide with fuming nitric acid 7 by oxidation of an alcoholic solution of bromoacetylene by air 8 and from ethyl a,/3-dibromovinyl ether by hydrolysis.9 Acetic acid has been converted into bromoacetyl bromide by action of bromine in the presence of red phosphorus, and ethyl bromoacetate has been... 

Radiation Induced Reactions. Graft polymers have been prepared from poly(vinyl alcohol) by the irradiation of the polymer-monomer system and some other methods. The grafted side chains reported include acrylamide, acrylic acid, acrylonitrile, ethyl acrylate, ethylene, ethyl methacrylate, methyl methacrylate, styrene, vinyl acetate, vinyl chloride, vinyl pyridine and vinyl pyrrolidone (13). Poly(vinyl alcohols) with grafted methyl methacrylate and sometimes methyl acrylate have been studied as membranes for hemodialysis (14). Graft polymers consisting of 50% poly(vinyl alcohol), 25% poly(vinyl acetate) and 25% grafted ethylene oxide units can be used to prepare capsule cases for drugs which do not require any additional plasticizers (15). 

Fig. 15. The influence of the pic d arret on product forrhation during the oxidation of propane. Initial temperature = 430 °C initial pressure of propane = 90 torr initial pressure of oxygen = 210 torr volume of reaction vessel = 30 cm , (b) Left ordinate +, methyl alcohol. Right ordinate x, isopropyl alcohol , ethyl alcohol o, n-propyl alcohol 1, allyl alcohol, (c) Left ordinate +, hydrogen peroxide , formaldehyde. Right ordinate x, total aldehydes, (d) +, propene i, methane , ethylene x ethane. (From ref. 147.)...

Desulfurization of petroleum feedstock (FBR), catalytic cracking (MBR or FI BR), hydrodewaxing (FBR), steam reforming of methane or naphtha (FBR), water-gas shift (CO conversion) reaction (FBR-A), ammonia synthesis (FBR-A), methanol from synthesis gas (FBR), oxidation of sulfur dioxide (FBR-A), isomerization of xylenes (FBR-A), catalytic reforming of naphtha (FBR-A), reduction of nitrobenzene to aniline (FBR), butadiene from n-butanes (FBR-A), ethylbenzene by alkylation of benzene (FBR), dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene to styrene (FBR), methyl ethyl ketone from sec-butyl alcohol (by dehydrogenation) (FBR), formaldehyde from methanol (FBR), disproportionation of toluene (FBR-A), dehydration of ethanol (FBR-A), dimethylaniline from aniline and methanol (FBR), vinyl chloride from acetone (FBR), vinyl acetate from acetylene and acetic acid (FBR), phosgene from carbon monoxide (FBR), dichloroethane by oxichlorination of ethylene (FBR), oxidation of ethylene to ethylene oxide (FBR), oxidation of benzene to maleic anhydride (FBR), oxidation of toluene to benzaldehyde (FBR), phthalic anhydride from o-xylene (FBR), furane from butadiene (FBR), acrylonitrile by ammoxidation of propylene (FI BR)... 

Some processes use dUvie acid under high pressures/ an increased yield of alcohol being obtained with a corresponding decreased yield of ether. The jdeld of ether may be also decreased by removal of alcohol from contact with unreacted sulfate liquor, as rapidly as it is formed, by immediate distillation in hot water. Brooks and others have shown the advantages of absorption of ethylene under pressure. Various catalysts are used in these processes, and ethyl alcohol has also been prepared by the direct combination of ethylene with water in the presence of catalysts and under pressure. The two most promising catalysts are supported phosphoric acid and promoted tungsten oxide. ... 

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