Manganese dioxide production

Even ia 1960 a catalytic route was considered the answer to the pollution problem and the by-product sulfate, but nearly ten years elapsed before a process was developed that could be used commercially. Some of the eadier attempts iacluded hydrolysis of acrylonitrile on a sulfonic acid ion-exchange resia (69). Manganese dioxide showed some catalytic activity (70), and copper ions present ia two different valence states were described as catalyticaHy active (71), but copper metal by itself was not active. A variety of catalysts, such as Umshibara or I Jllmann copper and nickel, were used for the hydrolysis of aromatic nitriles, but aUphatic nitriles did not react usiag these catalysts (72). Beginning ia 1971 a series of patents were issued to The Dow Chemical Company (73) describiag the use of copper metal catalysis. Full-scale production was achieved the same year. A solution of acrylonitrile ia water was passed over a fixed bed of copper catalyst at 85°C, which produced a solution of acrylamide ia water with very high conversions and selectivities to acrylamide. 

The yield of hydroquinone is 85 to 90% based on aniline. The process is mainly a batch process where significant amounts of soHds must be handled (manganese dioxide as well as metal iron finely divided). However, the principal drawback of this process resides in the massive coproduction of mineral products such as manganese sulfate, ammonium sulfate, or iron oxides which are environmentally not friendly. Even though purified manganese sulfate is used in the agricultural field, few solutions have been developed to dispose of this unsuitable coproduct. Such methods include MnSO reoxidation to MnO (1), or MnSO electrochemical reduction to metal manganese (2). None of these methods has found appHcations on an industrial scale. In addition, since 1980, few innovative studies have been pubUshed on this process (3). 

Seaweeds. The eadiest successful manufacture of iodine started in 1817 using certain varieties of seaweeds. The seaweed was dried, burned, and the ash lixiviated to obtain iodine and potassium and sodium salts. The first process used was known as the kelp, or native, process. The name kelp, initially apphed to the ash of the seaweed, has been extended to include the seaweed itself. About 20 t of fresh seaweed was used to produce 5 t of air-dried product containing a mean of 0.38 wt % iodine in the form of iodides of alkah metals. The ash obtained after burning the dried seaweed contains about 1.5 wt % iodine. Chemical separation of the iodine was performed by lixiviation of the burned kelp, followed by soHd-Hquid separation and water evaporation. After separating sodium and potassium chloride, and sodium carbonate, the mother Hquor containing iodine as iodide was treated with sulfuric acid and manganese dioxide to oxidize the iodide to free iodine, which was sublimed and condensed in earthenware pipes (57). 

Oxidation of aniline with a mixture of manganese dioxide and sulfuric acid has been used commercially for production of -benzoquinone [106-51-4] (35). 

Chemical Production. Electrolytic production of chemicals is conducted either by solution (water) electrolysis or fused-salt electrolysis. Fluorine, chlorine, chlorate, and manganese dioxide are Hberated from water solutions magnesium and sodium are generated from molten salt solutions. 

Oxidation. Citric acid is easily oxidized by a variety of oxidizing agents such as peroxides, hypochlorite, persulfate, permanganate, periodate, hypobromite, chromate, manganese dioxide, and nitric acid. The products of oxidation are usually acetonedicarboxyhc acid (5), oxaUc acid (6), carbon dioxide, and water, depending on the conditions used (5). 

Table 5. Production Conditions for Electrolytic Manganese Dioxide...

Laudanosine contains four methoxyl groups. By exhaustive methyla-tion it yields trimethylamine and laudanosene (tetramethoxy-o-vinyl-stilbene), CH2=CH—C6H2(OCH3)2—CH=CH—C6H3(OCH3),. On oxidation with manganese dioxide and sulphuric acid it furnishes, in addition to the interesting by-product 2 3 6 7-tetramethoxy-9 10-dihydroanthracene, veratraldehyde and 4 5-dimethoxy-2 )3-methyl-... 

The oxidation of organic compounds by manganese dioxide has recently been reviewed. It is of limited application for the introduction of double bonds, but the advantages of mildness and simple workup make it attractive for some laboratory-scale transformations. Manganese dioxide is similar to chloranil in that it will oxidize A -3-ketones to A -dienones in refluxing benzene. Unfortunately, this reaction does not normally go to completion, and the separation of product from starting material is difficult. However, Sondheimer found that A -3-alcohols are converted into A -3-ketones, and in this instance separation is easier, but conversions are only 30%. (cf. Harrison s report that manganese dioxide in DMF or pyridine at room temperature very slowly converts A -3-alcohols to A -3-ketones.)... 

A solution of 11.2 g of potassium permanganate in 100 ml of warm water was added drop-wise to a well stirred solution of 10 g of 2-(4-chlorophenyl)-3-methyl-4-metathiazanone in 50 ml of glacial acetic acid. The temperature was kept below 30°C with external cooling. An aqueous sodium bisulfite solution was then added to remove the manganese dioxide. The thick whitish oil which separated was taken up in chloroform and the extract was washed with water. Removal of the chloroform by distillation in vacuo yielded an oily residue which solidified. The solid was recrystallized from isopropyl alcohol to give 5 g of the product, 2-(4-chlorophenyl)-3-methyl-4-metathiazanone-1,1-dioxide, MP 116.2° to 118.6°C (corr.). 

In the field of electrowinning and electrorefining of metals, titanium has an advantage as a cathode, upon which copper particularly can be deposited with finely balanced adhesion that allows the electrodeposited metal to strip easily when required. Titanium anodes are also being employed as a replacement for lead or graphite in the production of electrolytic manganese dioxide. 

L. Binder, K. Kordesch, Production of thin sheet manganese dioxide electrodes for high energy batteries, IBA, 8th Int. Battery Material Symp., Brussels, May 1993 Prog. Batteries Batt. Mater., 1994, 256-265. 

Figure 1. Total world production of EMD and chemical manganese dioxide (CMD).

Compared with the Leclanche batteries, alkaline manganese dioxide batteries offer better performance at high discharge currents and lower temperatures and a better shelf life. They are more expensive than Leclanche batteries, but their cost per unit of energy is competitive and resources of raw materials are sufficient for mass production of these batteries. 

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