Methyl purification

Ci-,H2,N04. Colourless prisms, m.p. 98°C. Obtained from coca, either by direct purification, or by acid hydrolysis of the mixed alkaloids to ecgonine, which is then methylated and benzoylated. Coca consists of the dried leaves of Eryihroxyluni coca and Erythroxylum iruxillense, shrubs growing in Bolivia and Peru. 

Absolute methyl alcohol. The synthetic methanol now available is suitable for most purposes without purification indeed, some manufacturers claim a purity of 99 85 per cent, with not more than 0 1 per cent, by weight of water and not more than 0 02 per cent, by weight of acetone. Frequently, however, the acetone content may be as high as 0 1 per cent, and the water content 0-5-1 per cent. 

Methyl acetate. An anhydrous product of 99 per cent, purity (b.p. 56-5-57°) i.s available coniniercially this is comparatively cheap so that purification of inferior products is not worth while. It is appreciably soluble in water (ca. 24 per cent, at 20°). The pure compound has b.p. 57°/760 mm. 

Purification of solid by recrystallisation acetanilide from water naphthalene from methylated spirit (III,5). Use 1 g. of solid, 25 ml. flask and short water condenser. 

A solution of 0.60 mol of ethyllithium (note 1) in about 400 ml of diethyl ether (see Chapter II, Exp. 1) was added in 30 min to a mixture of 0.25 mol of 1,4-diethoxy-2-butyne (see Chapter VIII-6, Exp. 8) and 100 ml of dry diethyl ether. The temperature of the reaction mixture was kept between -40 and -45°C. Fifteen minutes after the addition had been completed, 0.5 mol of methyl iodide was added at -40 C, then 100 ml of dry HMPT (for the purification see ref. 1) were added dropwise in 15 min while keeping the temperature at about -40°C. Thirty minutes after this addition the cooling bath was removed, the temperature was allowed to rise and stirring was continued for 3 h. The mixture was... 

The carbonylation process is operated at mild temperatures (45—110°C) and elevated pressures (2—6 MPa = 20 60 atm), and can be carried out in MMA or in an inert solvent such as /V-methy1pyrro1idinone. Selectivities are claimed in excess of 99%, thereby requiring minimal purification to obtain high quahty product MMA. The principal by-product is methyl crotonate. 

Historically, the Redox process was used to achieve the same purification as in the Purex process (97,129). The reagents were hexone (methyl isobutyl ketone) as the solvent, dichromate as an oxidant, and A1(N02)3 as the salting agent. The chief disadvantages of hexone are its flammability and its solubihty in water. However, because A1(N03)3 collects in the highly radioactive waste, thereby impeding the latter s further processing, the Redox process was abandoned in favor of the Purex process. 

Gumylphenol. -Cumylphenol (PGP) or 4-(1-methyl-l-phenylethyl)phenol is produced by the alkylation of phenol with a-methylstyrene under acid catalysis. a-Methylstyrene is a by-product from the production of phenol via the cumene oxidation process. The principal by-products from the production of 4-cumylphenol result from the dimerization and intramolecular alkylation of a-methylstyrene to yield substituted indanes. 4-Cumylphenol [599-64-4] is purified by either fractional distillation or crystallization from a suitable solvent. Purification by crystallization results in the easy separation of the substituted indanes from the product and yields a soHd material which is packaged in plastic or paper bags (20 kg net weight). Purification of 4-cumylphenol by fractional distillation yields a product which is almost totally free of any dicumylphenol. The molten product resulting from purification by distillation can be flaked to yield a soHd form however, the soHd form of 4-cumylphenol sinters severely over time. PGP is best stored and transported as a molten material. 

C to give the expected 2-methyl-1-butene in high selectivites (24). The AI2O2 catalyzed process can be optimized to give di- -pentyl ether as the exclusive product (23). Dehydration of 1-pentanol over an alkah metal promoted AI2O2 catalyst at 300—350°C provides 1-pentene at selectivities of 92% (29,30). Purification produces polymerization grade (99.9% purity) 1-pentene. A flow chart has been shown for a pilot-plant process (29). 

Hydroperoxide Process. The hydroperoxide process to propylene oxide involves the basic steps of oxidation of an organic to its hydroperoxide, epoxidation of propylene with the hydroperoxide, purification of the propylene oxide, and conversion of the coproduct alcohol to a useful product for sale. Incorporated into the process are various purification, concentration, and recycle methods to maximize product yields and minimize operating expenses. Commercially, two processes are used. The coproducts are / fZ-butanol, which is converted to methyl tert-huty ether [1634-04-4] (MTBE), and 1-phenyl ethanol, converted to styrene [100-42-5]. The coproducts are produced in a weight ratio of 3—4 1 / fZ-butanol/propylene oxide and 2.4 1 styrene/propylene oxide, respectively. These processes use isobutane (see Hydrocarbons) and ethylbenzene (qv), respectively, to produce the hydroperoxide. Other processes have been proposed based on cyclohexane where aniline is the final coproduct, or on cumene (qv) where a-methyl styrene is the final coproduct. 

Fiaal purification of propylene oxide is accompHshed by a series of conventional and extractive distillations. Impurities ia the cmde product iaclude water, methyl formate, acetone, methanol, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde, and some heavier hydrocarbons. Conventional distillation ia one or two columns separates some of the lower boiling components overhead, while taking some of the higher boilers out the bottom of the column. The reduced level of impurities are then extractively distilled ia one or more columns to provide a purified propylene oxide product. The solvent used for extractive distillation is distilled ia a conventional column to remove the impurities and then recycled (155,156). A variety of extractive solvents have been demonstrated to be effective ia purifyiag propylene oxide, as shown ia Table 4. 

The N-oxide function has proved useful for the activation of the pyridine ring, directed toward both nucleophilic and electrophilic attack (see Amine oxides). However, pyridine N-oxides have not been used widely ia iadustrial practice, because reactions involving them almost iavariably produce at least some isomeric by-products, a dding to the cost of purification of the desired isomer. Frequently, attack takes place first at the O-substituent, with subsequent rearrangement iato the ring. For example, 3-picoline N-oxide [1003-73-2] (40) reacts with acetic anhydride to give a mixture of pyridone products ia equal amounts, 5-methyl-2-pyridone [1003-68-5] and 3-methyl-2-pyridone [1003-56-1] (11). 

The most recent, and probably most elegant, process for the asymmetric synthesis of (+)-estrone appHes a tandem Claisen rearrangement and intramolecular ene-reaction (Eig. 23). StereochemicaHy pure (185) is synthesized from (2R)-l,2-0-isopropyhdene-3-butanone in an overall yield of 86% in four chemical steps. Heating a toluene solution of (185), enol ether (187), and 2,6-dimethylphenol to 180°C in a sealed tube for 60 h produces (190) in 76% yield after purification. Ozonolysis of (190) followed by base-catalyzed epimerization of the C8a-hydrogen to a C8P-hydrogen (again similar to conversion of (175) to (176)) produces (184) in 46% yield from (190). Aldehyde (184) was converted to 9,11-dehydroestrone methyl ether (177) as discussed above. The overall yield of 9,11-dehydroestrone methyl ether (177) was 17% in five steps from 6-methoxy-l-tetralone (186) and (185) (201). 

In the case of low temperature tar, the aqueous Hquor that accompanies the cmde tar contains between 1 and 1.5% by weight of soluble tar acids, eg, phenol, cresols, and dihydroxybenzenes. Both for the sake of economics and effluent purification, it is necessary to recover these, usually by the Lurgi Phenosolvan process based on the selective extraction of the tar acids with butyl or isobutyl acetate. The recovered phenols are separated by fractional distillation into monohydroxybenzenes, mainly phenol and cresols, and dihydroxybenzenes, mainly (9-dihydroxybenzene (catechol), methyl (9-dihydtoxybenzene, (methyl catechol), and y -dihydroxybenzene (resorcinol). The monohydric phenol fraction is added to the cmde tar acids extracted from the tar for further refining, whereas the dihydric phenol fraction is incorporated in wood-preservation creosote or sold to adhesive manufacturers. Naphthalene Oils. Naphthalene is the principal component of coke-oven tats and the only component that can be concentrated to a reasonably high content on primary distillation. Naphthalene oils from coke-oven tars distilled in a modem pipe stiU generally contain 60—65% of naphthalene. They are further upgraded by a number of methods. 

Chlorinated by-products of ethylene oxychlorination typically include 1,1,2-trichloroethane chloral [75-87-6] (trichloroacetaldehyde) trichloroethylene [7901-6]-, 1,1-dichloroethane cis- and /n j -l,2-dichloroethylenes [156-59-2 and 156-60-5]-, 1,1-dichloroethylene [75-35-4] (vinyhdene chloride) 2-chloroethanol [107-07-3]-, ethyl chloride vinyl chloride mono-, di-, tri-, and tetrachloromethanes (methyl chloride [74-87-3], methylene chloride [75-09-2], chloroform, and carbon tetrachloride [56-23-5])-, and higher boiling compounds. The production of these compounds should be minimized to lower raw material costs, lessen the task of EDC purification, prevent fouling in the pyrolysis reactor, and minimize by-product handling and disposal. Of particular concern is chloral, because it polymerizes in the presence of strong acids. Chloral must be removed to prevent the formation of soflds which can foul and clog operating lines and controls (78). 

By-products from EDC pyrolysis typically include acetjiene, ethylene, methyl chloride, ethyl chloride, 1,3-butadiene, vinylacetylene, benzene, chloroprene, vinyUdene chloride, 1,1-dichloroethane, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, 1,1,1-trichloroethane [71-55-6] and other chlorinated hydrocarbons (78). Most of these impurities remain with the unconverted EDC, and are subsequendy removed in EDC purification as light and heavy ends. The lightest compounds, ethylene and acetylene, are taken off with the HCl and end up in the oxychlorination reactor feed. The acetylene can be selectively hydrogenated to ethylene. The compounds that have boiling points near that of vinyl chloride, ie, methyl chloride and 1,3-butadiene, will codistiU with the vinyl chloride product. Chlorine or carbon tetrachloride addition to the pyrolysis reactor feed has been used to suppress methyl chloride formation, whereas 1,3-butadiene, which interferes with PVC polymerization, can be removed by treatment with chlorine or HCl, or by selective hydrogenation. 

Commercially available VP is usually over 99% pure but does contain several methyl-substituted homologues and 2-pyrrohdinone. Even at this high level of purity, further purification is required if rehable kinetic data concerning rates of polymerisation are desired. This can be accompHshed only by recrystallisation, because distillation will not separate methyl-substituted isomers (7). 

The solvent is then evaporated, and the unconverted sterol is recovered by precipitation from an appropriate solvent, eg, alcohol. The recovered sterol is reused in subsequent irradiations. The solvent is then evaporated to yield vitamin D resin. The resin is a pale yeUow-to-amber oil that flows freely when hot and becomes a brittie glass when cold the activity of commercial resin is 20 30 x 10 lU/g. The resin is formulated without further purification for use in animal feeds. Vitamin D can be crystallized to give the USP product from a mixture of hydrocarbon solvent and ahphatic nitrile, eg, benzene and acetonitrile, or from methyl formate (100,101). Chemical complexation has also been used for purification. 

Monomers for manufacture of butyl mbber are 2-methylpropene [115-11-7] (isobutylene) and 2-methyl-l.3-butadiene [78-79-5] (isoprene) (see Olefins). Polybutenes are copolymers of isobutylene and / -butenes from mixed-C olefin-containing streams. For the production of high mol wt butyl mbber, isobutylene must be of >99.5 wt % purity, and isoprene of >98 wt % purity is used. Water and oxygenated organic compounds iaterfere with the cationic polymerization mechanism, and are minimized by feed purification systems. 

One of the most important appHcations of this process is that of methyl methacrylate manufacture. In this process (81), acetone cyanohydrin is treated with sulfuric acid at 100°C, affording the corresponding methacrylamide sulfate which is esterified with methanol. After purification, methyl methacrylate (99.8% purity) is obtained in a yield of ca 85%. 

The total yield amounts to 260-266 g. (48.5-49.5 per cent of the theoretical amount). The product is contaminated by slight traces of d-glucose and possesses a very faint reducing power towards Fehling s solution. For complete purification it is recrystallized (with practically no loss and practically no change in melting point) from five parts of methyl alcohol with the use, if necessary, of decolorizing carbon. 

The catalyst, 3-benzyl-5-(2-hydroxyethyl )-4-methyl-l, 3-thiazoHum chloride, is supplied by Fluka AG, Buchs, Switzerland, and by Tridom Chemical, Inc., Hauppauge, New York. The thiazolium salt may also be prepared as described below by benzylation of 5-(2-hydroxyethyl)-4-methyl-l,3-thiazole which is commercially available from E. Merck, Darmstadt, West Germany, and Columbia Organic Chemicals Co., Inc., Columbia, SC. The acetonitrile used by the checkers was dried over Linde 3A molecular sieves and distilled under nitrogen, bp 77-78°C. The same yield of thiazolium salt was obtained by the checkers when benzyl chloride and acetonitrile from commercial sources were used without purification. 

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