Kawasaki Kasei Chemicals Ltd

Henkel Rearrangement of Benzoic Acid and Phthalic Anhydride. Henkel technology is based on the conversion of benzenecarboxyhc acids to their potassium salts. The salts are rearranged in the presence of carbon dioxide and a catalyst such as cadmium or zinc oxide to form dipotassium terephthalate, which is converted to terephthahc acid (59—61). Henkel technology is obsolete and is no longer practiced, but it was once commercialized by Teijin Hercules Chemical Co. and Kawasaki Kasei Chemicals Ltd. Both processes foUowed a route starting with oxidation of napthalene to phthahc anhydride. In the Teijin process, the phthaHc anhydride was converted sequentially to monopotassium and then dipotassium o-phthalate by aqueous recycle of monopotassium and dipotassium terephthalate (62). The dipotassium o-phthalate was recovered and isomerized in carbon dioxide at a pressure of 1000—5000 kPa ( 10 50 atm) and at 350—450°C. The product dipotassium terephthalate was dissolved in water and recycled as noted above. Production of monopotassium o-phthalate released terephthahc acid, which was filtered, dried, and stored (63,64). 

Jptt Kokai Tokkyo Koho JP 61,204,148 (Sept. 10, 1986), K. Matsuzaki, S. Ikemoto, and M. Narita (to Kawasaki Kasei Chemicals, Ltd.). 

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