Industrial solvents cyclohexanol

Cyclohexane is the starting point for making the chemical intermediates cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone. Other minor uses include industrial solvent applications such as cutthig fats, oils, and rubber. Cyclohexane also makes a good paint remover component. 

One principal use of cyclohexanol has been in the manufacture of esters for use as plasticizers (qv), ie, cyclohexyl and dicyclohexyl phthalates. In the finishes industry, cyclohexanol is used as a solvent for lacquers, shellacs, and varnishes. Its low volatiUty helps to improve secondary flow and to prevent blushing. It also improves the miscibility of cellulose nitrate and resin solutions and helps maintain homogeneity during drying of lacquers. Reaction of cyclohexanol with ammonia produces cyclohexylamine [108-91-8], a corrosion inhibitor. Cyclohexanol is used as a stabilizer and homogenizer for soaps and synthetic detergent emulsions. It is used also by the textile industry as a dye solvent and kier-boiling assistant (see Dye carriers). 

Alicyclic amines are used as pesticides, plasticizers, explosives, inhibitors of metal corrosion and sweetening agents as well as having uses in the pharmaceuticals industry. Aniline hydrogenation has been studied in the literature with the main reaction products cyclohexylamine, dicyclohexylamine, A-phenylcyclohexylamine, diphenylamine, ammonia, benzene, cyclohexane, cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone [1-9], The products formed depend on the catalyst used, reaction temperature, solvent and whether the reaction is performed in gas or liquid phase. For example high temperature, gas-phase aniline hydrogenation over Rh/Al203 produced cyclohexylamine and dicyclohexylamine as the main products [1],... 

The selective oxidation of saturated hydrocarbons is a reaction of high industrial importance. Besides a variety of other oxidants, hydrogen peroxide as a very clean oxidant has also been used for these purposes . As an example, in 1989 Moiseev and coworkers reported on the vanadium(V)-catalyzed oxidation of cyclohexane with hydrogen peroxide (Scheme 146) . When the reaction was carried out in acetic acid cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone were formed, bnt conversions were very poor and did not exceed 13%. Employing CF3COOH as solvent, complete conversions could be obtained within 5 min-ntes. Here, cyclohexyl trifluoroacetate was the main product (85% of the products formed) resulting from the reaction of cyclohexanol (the primary product of the oxidation) with CF3COOH. 

The selective oxidation of cyclohexane to cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone has been studied by Suo and co-workers [395,396]. This reaction is a key process in the chemical industry, for the oxidation products of cyclohexane, via cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone, are important intermediates in the manufacture of nylon-6 and nylon-66 polymers and are also used as solvents for lacquers, shellacs and varnishes as well as stabilisers and homogenisers for soaps and S3mthetic detergent emulsions. 

OTHER COMMENTS used as a solvent for cellulose ethers, fats, oils, waxes, bitumens, resins, lacquers, and crude rubber paint and varnish remover used in the manufacture of adipic acid, benzene, cyclohexyl chloride, nitrocyclohexane, cyclohexanol, and cyclohexanone useful in the manufacture of nylon and solid fuels may also be used in the industrial recrystalli-zation of steroids. 

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