Exothermic propylene oxidation

The reaction is very exothermic. The heat of reaction of propylene oxidation to acrolein is 340.8 kJ /mol (81.5 kcal/mol) the overall reactions generate approximately 837 kJ/mol (200 kcal/mol). The principal side reactions produce acryUc acid, acetaldehyde, acetic acid, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide. A variety of other aldehydes and acids are also formed in small amounts. Proprietary processes for acrolein manufacture have been described (25,26). 

Polyester resins can also be rapidly formed by the reaction of propylene oxide (5) with phthaUc and maleic anhydride. The reaction is initiated with a small fraction of glycol initiator containing a basic catalyst such as lithium carbonate. Molecular weight development is controlled by the concentration of initiator, and the highly exothermic reaction proceeds without the evolution of any condensate water. Although this technique provides many process benefits, the low extent of maleate isomerization achieved during the rapid formation of the polymer limits the reactivity and ultimate performance of these resins. 

Propylene oxide is highly reactive. It reacts exothermically with any substance that has labile hydrogen such as water, alcohols, amines, and organic acids acids, alkahes, and some salts act as catalysts. 

The reaction is exothermic reaction rates decrease with increased carbon number of the oxide (ethylene oxide > propylene oxide > butylene oxide). The ammonia—oxide ratio determines the product spht among the mono-, di-, and trialkanolamines. A high ammonia to oxide ratio favors monoproduction a low ammonia to oxide ratio favors trialkanolamine production. Mono- and dialkanolamines can also be recycled to the reactor to increase di-or trialkanolamine production. Mono- and dialkanolamines can also be converted to trialkanolamines by reaction of the mono- and di- with oxide in batch reactors. In all cases, the reaction is mn with excess ammonia to prevent unreacted oxide from leaving the reactor. 

Freeder, B. G. et al., J. Loss Prev. Process Ind., 1988, 1, 164-168 Accidental contamination of a 90 kg cylinder of ethylene oxide with a little sodium hydroxide solution led to explosive failure of the cylinder over 8 hours later [1], Based on later studies of the kinetics and heat release of the poly condensation reaction, it was estimated that after 8 hours and 1 min, some 12.7% of the oxide had condensed with an increase in temperature from 20 to 100°C. At this point the heat release rate was calculated to be 2.1 MJ/min, and 100 s later the temperature and heat release rate would be 160° and 1.67 MJ/s respectively, with 28% condensation. Complete reaction would have been attained some 16 s later at a temperature of 700°C [2], Precautions designed to prevent explosive polymerisation of ethylene oxide are discussed, including rigid exclusion of acids covalent halides, such as aluminium chloride, iron(III) chloride, tin(IV) chloride basic materials like alkali hydroxides, ammonia, amines, metallic potassium and catalytically active solids such as aluminium oxide, iron oxide, or rust [1] A comparative study of the runaway exothermic polymerisation of ethylene oxide and of propylene oxide by 10 wt% of solutions of sodium hydroxide of various concentrations has been done using ARC. Results below show onset temperatures/corrected adiabatic exotherm/maximum pressure attained and heat of polymerisation for the least (0.125 M) and most (1 M) concentrated alkali solutions used as catalysts. 

A polyether-alcohol, prepared by co-condensation of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide with a polyhydric alcohol, was stored at above 100°C and exposed to air via a vent line. After 10-15 h, violent decomposition occurred, rupturing the vessel. It was subsequently found that exothermic oxidation of the product occurred above 100°C, and that at 300°C a rapid exothermic reaction set in, accompanied by vigorous gas evolution. 

A drum of crude product containing unreacted propylene oxide and sodium hydroxide catalyst exploded and ignited, probably owing to base-catalysed exothermic polymerisation of the oxide [1]. A comparative ARC study of the runaway exothermic polymerisation of ethylene oxide and the less reactive propylene oxide in presence of sodium hydroxide solutions, as typical catalytically active impurities, has been done. The results suggest that the hazard potential for propylene oxide is rather less than that for the lower homologue, though more detailed work is needed to quantify the difference [2],... 

In most cases the catalytically active metal complex moiety is attached to a polymer carrying tertiary phosphine units. Such phosphinated polymers can be prepared from well-known water soluble polymers such as poly(ethyleneimine), poly(acryhc acid) [90,91] or polyethers [92] (see also Chapter 2). The solubility of these catalysts is often pH-dependent [90,91,93] so they can be separated from the reaction mixture by proper manipulation of the pH. Some polymers, such as the poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide) block copolymers, have inverse temperature dependent solubihty in water and retain this property after functionahzation with PPh2 and subsequent complexation with rhodium(I). The effect of temperature was demonstrated in the hydrogenation of aqueous allyl alcohol, which proceeded rapidly at 0 °C but stopped completely at 40 °C at which temperature the catalyst precipitated hydrogenation resumed by coohng the solution to 0 °C [92]. Such smart catalysts may have special value in regulating the rate of strongly exothermic catalytic reactions. 

In an older version of the synthesis, propylene and chlorine react in an aqueous solution to form propylene chlorohydrin.192-194 The slightly exothermic reaction maintains the 30-40°C reaction temperature to yield isomeric propylene chlorohy-drins (l-chloro-2-propanol/2-chloro-1-propanol = 9 1). The main byproduct is 1,2-dichloropropane formed in amounts up to 10%. The product propylene chlorohydrin then undergoes saponification to propylene oxide with calcium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide. 

Styrene is manufactured nearly entirely by the direct dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene. Smaller amounts are obtained indirectly, as a co-product, from the production of propylene oxide by the Oxirane and Shell technologies, industrialized in the United States, the Netherlands and Spain, and whose essential intermediate step is the formation of ethylbenzene hydroperoxide, or from the production of aniline, by a technique developed in the USSR, which combines the highly exothermic hydrogenation of nitrobenzene with the highly endothermic dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene. 

Step 1 Define the state and output equations. The hydrolysis of propylene oxide (PO) to propylene glycol is an exothermic reaction catalyzed by H2SO4 ... 

---