Isopropyl alcohol industrial preparation

The most popular industrial method for preparing isopropyl alcohol was invented in 1920 by researchers at the Standard Oil Company (now Exxon). In that process, propene (propylene CH2CH=CH2) is treated with hydrolyzed with sulfuric acid as a catalyst. 

In general this method is limited to the preparation of symmetrical ethers m which both alkyl groups are primary Isopropyl alcohol however is readily available at low cost and gives high enough yields of diisopropyl ether to justify making (CH3)2CHOCH(CH3)2 by this method on an industrial scale... 

Although acetone is used widely as an industrial solvent, nevertheless it has become the by-product of the acetone-butanol fermentation and there is always the fear of overproduction. There is thus a need for an extension of the industrial utilization of acetone. A possibility in this direction may be in its conversion into pinacol, the preparation of which has recently been improved by McHenry, Drum and O Connor. It is obtained together with isopropyl alcohol by electrolytic reduction of acetone under controlled conditions. Pinacol (LXVI) may be dehydrated to 2,3-dimethylbutadiene which can be converted into a synthetic rubber, or converted through pinacolone (LXVII) into neohexane... 

The forest industry has used extensive amounts of chloropheols (CPs) for the preservation of timber against blue sapstain fungi. In the U.S., pentachorophenol (PCP) ia mainly used (Cirelli, 1978), while in Europe and Japan, various CP congener mixtures are typical. Preservative solutions are prepared either by dissolution of CPs in sodium hydroxide to produce concentrated chlorophenate solutions, or dissolution in fuel oil or kerosene. If these solvents are not available, liquid petroleum gas, methylene chloride, isopropyl alcohol, or methanol are used. 

Propanol [(CH3)2CHOH], commonly called isopropyl alcohol or rubbing alcohol, is used primarily as a solvent. It is prepared industrially by addition of water to propene ... 

Write equations to show how isopropyl alcohol might be prepared (a) from an olefin (b) from an alkyl halide (c) by a Grignard reaction, (d) Which method is used industrially Why ... 

Isopropyl alcohol (EYE-so-PRO-pil AL-ko-hol) is a colorless flammable liquid with a sweet odor. In 2004, about 600 million kilograms (about 1.3 billion pounds) of isopropyl alcohol were produced in the United States, with about half of that used as an industrial solvent and about a third used in the preparation of other chemical compounds. It is perhaps best known to many people as rubbing alcohol, usually a 70 percent solution of isopropyl alcohol in water. The compound is commonly used to clean a person s skin before an injection is given. It kills bacteria on the skin and prevents infection. 

Isopentenyl pyrophophate, 1028—1030, 1033-1034, 1044 Isoprene, 383, 1026 Isoprene rule, 1028 Isoprenoid compounds. See Terpenes Isopropenyl group, 169—170 Isopropyl alcohol, 19, 128 industrial preparation of, 224 properties of, 581... 

As large quantities of oils are cracked, the supply of propylene is adequate for the production of enough isopropyl alcohol to meet any industrial demands for the compound that may arise. It is probable that this new industrial product may replace ethyl alcohol for many purposes. Before the recent application of this method of preparing the alcohol was made, the gases formed in cracking petroleum were burned under the stills. 

Isopropyl alcohol is extensively used in cosmetics, particularly for hair and skin lotions, and in pharmacy for preparations intended for external use. A further large area of use is the paint and printing ink industry. Isopropyl alcohol is added to fuels to prevent the icing up of the carburetor and increase the octane number. It is an important feedstock for the chemical industry, for example, in the production of acetone (particularly in the United States), esters, plasticizers, and ethers. Isopropyl alcohol is also important as a solvent (e.g., for recrystallization and extraction) and as a moistening agent for cellulose nitrate. It is furthermore used in the aerosol sector. 

Commonly used water-immiscible solvents in industrial-scale processes include alcohols (isobutanol, -butanol), ketones (particularly methyl isobutyl ketone), acetates (butyl, ethyl, isopropyl), hydrocarbons (toluene, hexanes), and methylene chloride. These solvents are inexpensive, readily available, and exhibit physical properties of low viscosity and density significantly different from water. Common water-miscible solvents are the alcohols (particularly methanol). For laboratory-scale processes, the selection is greater since selection is not constrained by economics. Craig and Sogn (16) have prepared an extensive compilation of such solvents. 

Aliphatic Ethers. The aliphatic ethers used in industry are made usually by the action of sulfuric acid on an alcohol. Ethyl ether and isopropyl ether are thus prepared. However, more ethyl ether than the market usually absorbs is obtained as a by-product of the hydration of ethylene to alcohol. Alkyl halides react on a hydroxyl group either directly, in the presence of an alkali, or after the hydrogen of a hydroxyl group has been replaced by sodium. This is the Williamson synthesis which is particularly applicable to making mixed ethers ... 

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