Hydrogen cyanide, from oxidation

Acrylonitrile is combustible and ignites readily, producing toxic combustion products such as hydrogen cyanide, nitrogen oxides, and carbon monoxide. It forms explosive mixtures with air and must be handled in weU-ventilated areas and kept away from any source of ignition, since the vapor can spread to distant ignition sources and flash back. 

Hirohax A process for removing hydrogen cyanide from gas streams. It is first converted to thiocyanate, and this is oxidized at 350°C with oxygen under pressure. Developed in 1972 by Nippon Steel, Tokyo. 

The large volume solvents, trichloroethylene and perchloroethylene, are still chiefly made from acetylene, but appreciable amounts of the former are derived from ethylene. The competitive situation between these source materials runs through the whole chlorinated hydrocarbon picture, and extends on to other compound classes as well—for example, acrylonitrile is just on the threshold of a severalfold expansion, as demand grows for synthetic fibers based thereon. Acrylonitrile can be made either from ethylene oxide and hydrogen cyanide, from acetylene and hydrogen cyanide, or from allylamines. The ethylene oxide route is reported to be the only one in current commercial use, but new facilities now under construction will involve the addition of hydrogen cyanide to acetylene (27). 

Metal wires and screens are used as fixed-bed catalysts in which reactants are passed through the openings in the gauze, the size of which is defined by the mesh and wire diameter (see Fig. 10A). Gauzes composed of an alloy of platinum and rhodium catalyze the air oxidation of ammonia to nitric oxide, which is subsequently converted to nitric acid, and the production of hydrogen cyanide from ammonia, air, and methane. Formaldehyde production by... 

In the reaction of butyllithium or lithium di-isopropylaminc with the Mannich bases derived from hydrogen cyanide, phosphine oxides, and phosphorous esters, as well as from phenols, jhc metal atom is prevalently bound to the CH2—N moiety (313 in big. 119, route b). This intermediate is then allowed to react with halides, epoxides, and other alkylating reagents in order to link an alkyl group to methylene. Under proper conditions, aldehydes, ketones and enamines can be prepared by this method. 

Diphenylcyanoarsine melts at 28° to 30° C., 35° C., 81-5° C., B.pt. 191° C. at 11 mm., and crystallises in colourless, monoclinic plates, these having an odour of garlic and bitter almonds. Moist air liberates hydrogen cyanide from the compound, whilst aqueous or alcoholic alkali hydroxides convert it into the oxide. Concentrated nitric acid, 2 per cent, hydrogen peroxide or bromine water in the cold, transforms it into diphenylarsinic aeid. 

In addition to iron oxide, other metals oxides were tried. Nickel, in particular, proved to be an active agent for hydrogen sulfide removal. However, nickel forms soluble salts with hydrogen cyanide from which it cannot be easily regenerated. Because of this problem, and its relatively high price compared to iron, nickel was never used on a large scale. 

Affected casualties suffered from initial acute airway irritation and inflammatory changes and later from toxic pulmonary oedema. Although the cloud may have contained contaminants and by-products including hydrogen cyanide and oxides of nitrogen, there is little doubt that the main effects were caused by methyl isocyanate which is a known pulmonary oedemagen. Following the release, about 400,000 persons fled the city in a totally uncontrolled evacuation. The evacuation of those who were actually exposed was compounded by a panic evacuation of residents who lived more than 10 km from the release site. 

Reaction products other than hexamethylenetetramine may apparently be obtained from ammonia and formaldehyde in special instances. Fosse s studies of the mechanism by which urea, hydrogen cyanide, and other nitrogenous compounds are formed in plants indicates that ammonia and formaldehyde may be the pi ecursors of these products -. On oxidation in the presence of ammoniacal silver and mercury salts, formaldehyde is partly converted to hydrogen cyanide, from which urea can be produced... 

In the early versions, ethylene cyanohydrin was obtained from ethylene chlorohydrin and sodium cyanide. In later versions, ethylene oxide (from the dkect catalytic oxidation of ethylene) reacted with hydrogen cyanide in the presence of a base catalyst to give ethylene cyanohydrin. This was hydrolyzed and converted to acryhc acid and by-product ammonium acid sulfate by treatment with about 85% sulfuric acid. 

Ethylene Cyanohydrin. This cyanohydrin, also known as hydracrylonitnle or glycocyanohydrin [109-78-4] is a straw-colored Hquid miscible with water, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, and ethanol, and is insoluble in benzene, carbon disulfide, and carbon tetrachloride. Ethylene cyanohydrin differs from the other cyanohydrins discussed here in that it is a P-cyanohydrin. It is formed by the reaction of ethylene oxide with hydrogen cyanide. 

Methylsuccinic acid has been prepared by the pyrolysis of tartaric acid from 1,2-dibromopropane or allyl halides by the action of potassium cyanide followed by hydrolysis by reduction of itaconic, citraconic, and mesaconic acids by hydrolysis of ketovalerolactonecarboxylic acid by decarboxylation of 1,1,2-propane tricarboxylic acid by oxidation of /3-methylcyclo-hexanone by fusion of gamboge with alkali by hydrog. nation and condensation of sodium lactate over nickel oxide from acetoacetic ester by successive alkylation with a methyl halide and a monohaloacetic ester by hydrolysis of oi-methyl-o -oxalosuccinic ester or a-methyl-a -acetosuccinic ester by action of hot, concentrated potassium hydroxide upon methyl-succinaldehyde dioxime from the ammonium salt of a-methyl-butyric acid by oxidation with. hydrogen peroxide from /9-methyllevulinic acid by oxidation with dilute nitric acid or hypobromite from /J-methyladipic acid and from the decomposition products of glyceric acid and pyruvic acid. The method described above is a modification of that of Higginbotham and Lapworth. ... 

Chlorination/oxidation of cyanide wastes from heat treatment plant Mixing cyanide with acids liberates hydrogen cyanide Hydrogen cyanide... 

Emissions to the atmosphere from ammonia plants include sulfur dioxide (SOj), nitrogen oxides (NOJ, carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (COj), hydrogen sulfide (HjS), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particulate matter, methane, hydrogen cyanide, and ammonia. The two primary sources of pollutants, with typical reported values, in kilograms per ton (kg/t) for the important pollutants, are as follows ... 

Cyanides are dangerously toxic materials that can cause instantaneous death. They occur in a number of industrial situations but are commonly associated with plating operations, and sludges and baths from such sources. Cyanide is extremely soluble and many cyanide compounds, when mixed with acid, release deadly hydrogen cyanide gas. Cyanide is sometimes formed during the combustion of various nitrile, cyanohydrin, and methacrylate compounds. Cyanides (CN ) are commonly treated by chlorine oxidation to the less toxic cyanate (CNO ) form, then acid hydrolyzed to COj and N. Obviously, care should be taken that the cyanide oxidation is complete prior to acid hydrolysis of the cyanate. 

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