Extraction, commercial processes extractive reaction

Ma.nufa.cture. Nickel carbonyl can be prepared by the direct combination of carbon monoxide and metallic nickel (77). The presence of sulfur, the surface area, and the surface activity of the nickel affect the formation of nickel carbonyl (78). The thermodynamics of formation and reaction are documented (79). Two commercial processes are used for large-scale production (80). An atmospheric method, whereby carbon monoxide is passed over nickel sulfide and freshly reduced nickel metal, is used in the United Kingdom to produce pure nickel carbonyl (81). The second method, used in Canada, involves high pressure CO in the formation of iron and nickel carbonyls the two are separated by distillation (81). Very high pressure CO is required for the formation of cobalt carbonyl and a method has been described where the mixed carbonyls are scmbbed with ammonia or an amine and the cobalt is extracted as the ammine carbonyl (82). A discontinued commercial process in the United States involved the reaction of carbon monoxide with nickel sulfate solution. 

Additional commercial processes are available for extraction of tea, hops, oriental herbs, tobacco leaves, and pharmaceuticals C02-enhanced oil recovery environmental appHcations such as extraction/flocculation of aqueous wastes reactions with iategrated separations such as aminations (ethylene... 

There is Httie recent information on the Exxon and BASE processes (85—87). The CRE, Exxon, and BASE processes use sulfuric acid as the extraction medium. The BASE process is the dominant process in Europe. It uses the dHutest acid of any commercial process. This permits selective reaction even in the presence of butadiene. The BASE process uses vapor—Hquid extraction unlike the Exxon and CRE processes which are of the Hquid—Hquid type. 

A typical feed to a commercial process is a refinery stream or a steam cracker B—B stream (a stream from which butadiene has been removed by extraction and isobutylene by chemical reaction). The B—B stream is a mixture of 1-butene, 2-butene, butane, and isobutane. This feed is extracted with 75—85% sulfuric acid at 35—50°C to yield butyl hydrogen sulfate. This ester is diluted with water and stripped with steam to yield the alcohol. Both 1-butene and 2-butene give j -butyl alcohol. The sulfuric acid is generally concentrated and recycled (109) (see Butyl alcohols). 

Transition metal oxides or their combinations with metal oxides from the lower row 5 a elements were found to be effective catalysts for the oxidation of propene to acrolein. Examples of commercially used catalysts are supported CuO (used in the Shell process) and Bi203/Mo03 (used in the Sohio process). In both processes, the reaction is carried out at temperature and pressure ranges of 300-360°C and 1-2 atmospheres. In the Sohio process, a mixture of propylene, air, and steam is introduced to the reactor. The hot effluent is quenched to cool the product mixture and to remove the gases. Acrylic acid, a by-product from the oxidation reaction, is separated in a stripping tower where the acrolein-acetaldehyde mixture enters as an overhead stream. Acrolein is then separated from acetaldehyde in a solvent extraction tower. Finally, acrolein is distilled and the solvent recycled. 

The key point is that, in general, the phase behavior of a given reaction system wiU not be known prior to the development of that process. Moreover, in those cases where data are available in the literature, they often refer to mixtures far more dilute than would be used in a commercial process. In such a process, energy and plant costs will clearly dictate that the reaction mixture should contain the minimum amount of SCF (see Beckman s constraint 2 e). This contrasts with SCF extraction, where the concentration of the extract dissolved in the SCF is determined, at least in part, by the mass-transport kinetics on the matrix material. All of these factors mean that the phase behavior of the reaction mixture wiU usuaUy have to be determined by experimental methods. 

Some economic aspects, including rhodium catalyst cost, are treated in section 8.2. Catalyst performance aspects are treated in sections 8.3 (activity, selectivity) and 8.4 (stability, loss routes for Rh and ligand). In 8.5 and 8.6, several commercial processes are described. Four generic, industrially used process types are described in 8.5, viz. processes using a stripping reactor, a liquid recycle, a two-phase reaction, and an extraction after a one-phase reaction. In 8.6, interesting, current developments in a few petrochemical product areas are shortly discussed. 

Using commercial extractants at medium-high concentrations and eliminating purification processes usually imply a nonideal behavior of the liquid phases taking part in the extraction reaction. Thus, the thermodynamic equilibrium constant will be... 

The conversion of methanol and ammonia to methylamines is achieved over dehydration catalysts operated in the temperature range 300450°C and 0.12 MPa pressure. The reactions are exothermic, and excess ammonia is used to control the product distribution. The dehydration catalysts are generally promoted Si-Al composites. The promoters include molybdenum sulfide and silver phosphate [68]. In the commercial Leonard process, a gas-phase downflow catalytic reactor operating at about 350°C and 0.62 MPa is used [69]. Recovery of the desired product is achieved throu a series of four distillation and extractive distillation columns. Unwanted product is recycled, suppressing further formation of the undesired component in the reactor. A very small amount of methanol is lost to CO and H2, and yields from the commercial process based on methanol and anunonia are >97% [70]. 

Cyclohexane, produced from the partial hydrogenation of benzene [71-43-2] also can be used as the feedstock for A manufacture. Such a process involves selective hydrogenation of benzene to cyclohexene, separation of the cyclohexene from unreacted benzene and cyclohexane (produced from over-hydrogenation of the benzene), and hydration of the cyclohexane to A. Asahi has obtained numerous patents on such a process and is in the process of commercialization (85,86). Indicated reaction conditions for the partial hydrogenation are 100—200°C and 1—10 kPa (0.1—1.5 psi) with a Ru or zinc-promoted Ru catalyst (87—90). The hydration reaction uses zeotites as catalyst in a two-phase system. Cyclohexene diffuses into an aqueous phase containing the zeotites and there is hydrated to A. The A then is extracted back into the organic phase. Reaction temperature is 90—150°C and reactor residence time is 30 min (91—94). 

In the last few years, Idemitsu commercialized a 5000 metric ton/year integrated reaction and separation process in SCR isobutene, as shown in Rig. 22-24. The reaction of isobutene and water takes place in the water phase and is acid catalyzed. The product, sec-butanol, is extracted into the isobutene phase to drive the reversible reaction to the right. The. s c-butanol is then recovered from the isobutene by depressurizing the SCR phase, and the isobutene is recompressed and recycled. 

Today the sulphonation route is somewhat uneconomic and largely replaced by newer routes. Processes involving chlorination, such as the Raschig process, are used on a large scale commercially. A vapour phase reaction between benzene and hydrocholoric acid is carried out in the presence of catalysts such as an aluminium hydroxide-copper salt complex. Monochlorobenzene is formed and this is hydrolysed to phenol with water in the presence of catalysts at about 450°C, at the same time regenerating the hydrochloric acid. The phenol formed is extracted with benzene, separated from the latter by fractional distillation and purified by vacuum distillation. In recent years developments in this process have reduced the amount of by-product dichlorobenzene formed and also considerably increased the output rates. 

Kinetic observations for decomposition of some representative transition metal sulphides are summarized in Table 13. Several instances of an advancing interface [contracting volume, eqn. (7), n = 3] rate process have been identified and the rate may be diminished by the presence of sulphur. Diffusion control is, however, believed to be important in the reactions of two lower sulphides (Ni0.9sS. [687] and Cu1-8S [688]). These solids have attracted particular interest since both are commercially valuable ores and pyrolysis constitutes one possible initial step in metal extraction. 

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