Isobutane, oxidation

The second manufacturing method for propylene oxide is via peroxidation of propylene, called the Halcon process after the company that invented it. Oxygen is first used to oxidize isobutane to r-butyl hydroperoxide (BHP) over a molybdenum naphthenate catalyst at 90°C and 450 psi. This oxidation occurs at the preferred tertiary carbon because a tertiary alkyl radical intermediate can be formed easily. 

Chromyl chloride also oxidizes saturated hydrocarbons. For example, it oxidizes isobutane to tert-butyl chloride ... 

Table 6 Propylene Oxide Isobutane Peroxidation Process Estimated Capital Investment (540 Million Pounds per Year)...

The most pronunent example is the partial oxidation of sc isobutane (Tc = 134.7" C,pc = 36.3 bar. Pc = 0.225 g/cm ) towards tert-butanol via hydroperoxides. The reaction is autocatalytic and follows a similar mechanism as in cyclohexane oxidation. Isobutane oxidation has gained importance because of the applications of the oxidation products, tert-butyl hydroperoxide and tert-butyl alcohol, in the manufacture of important chenucals like propylene oxide and methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE). A comparative study between supercritical oxidation and liquid-phase oxidation with air, but without a catalyst, provides thermodynamic and kinetic data on isobutane oxidation. Supercritical conditions provided higher rates and selectivities than in liquid phase, because a liquid phase-like mechanism runs at... 

Butane-Naphtha Catalytic Liquid-Phase Oxidation. Direct Hquid-phase oxidation ofbutane and/or naphtha [8030-30-6] was once the most favored worldwide route to acetic acid because of the low cost of these hydrocarbons. Butane [106-97-8] in the presence of metallic ions, eg, cobalt, chromium, or manganese, undergoes simple air oxidation in acetic acid solvent (48). The peroxidic intermediates are decomposed by high temperature, by mechanical agitation, and by action of the metallic catalysts, to form acetic acid and a comparatively small suite of other compounds (49). Ethyl acetate and butanone are produced, and the process can be altered to provide larger quantities of these valuable materials. Ethanol is thought to be an important intermediate (50) acetone forms through a minor pathway from isobutane present in the hydrocarbon feed. Formic acid, propionic acid, and minor quantities of butyric acid are also formed. 

Propylene oxide [75-56-9] is manufactured by either the chlorohydrin process or the peroxidation (coproduct) process. In the chlorohydrin process, chlorine, propylene, and water are combined to make propylene chlorohydrin, which then reacts with inorganic base to yield the oxide. The peroxidation process converts either isobutane or ethylbenzene direcdy to an alkyl hydroperoxide which then reacts with propylene to make propylene oxide, and /-butyl alcohol or methylbenzyl alcohol, respectively. Table 1 Hsts producers of propylene glycols in the United States. 

Isobutane shows the usual NTC and cool flame phenomena (78,154,157,158). As the pressure is iacreased, the expected iacrease ia oxygenated products retaining the parent carbon skeleton is observed (96). Under similar conditions, isobutane oxidizes more slowly than / -butane (159). There are stUl important unresolved questions concerning isobutane VPO (160). 

Isobutane. Isobutane can be oxidized noncatalyticaHy to give predominantly /-butyl hydroperoxide [75-91-2] (TBHP) (reactions 2 and 3). The... 

Reactions of /l-Butane. The most important industrial reactions of / -butane are vapor-phase oxidation to form maleic anhydride (qv), thermal cracking to produce ethylene (qv), Hquid-phase oxidation to produce acetic acid (qv) and oxygenated by-products, and isomerization to form isobutane. 

Production of maleic anhydride by oxidation of / -butane represents one of butane s largest markets. Butane and LPG are also used as feedstocks for ethylene production by thermal cracking. A relatively new use for butane of growing importance is isomerization to isobutane, followed by dehydrogenation to isobutylene for use in MTBE synthesis. Smaller chemical uses include production of acetic acid and by-products. Methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) is the principal by-product, though small amounts of formic, propionic, and butyric acid are also produced. / -Butane is also used as a solvent in Hquid—Hquid extraction of heavy oils in a deasphalting process. 

Autoxidation of alkanes generally promotes the formation of alkyl hydroperoxides, but d4-tert-huty peroxide has been obtained in >30% yield by the bromine-catalyzed oxidation of isobutane (66). In the presence of iodine, styrene also has been oxidized to the corresponding peroxide (44). 

The uses of propylene may be loosely categorized as refinery or chemical purpose. In the refinery, propylene occurs in varying concentrations in fuel-gas streams. As a refinery feedstock, propylene is alkylated by isobutane or dimerized to produce polymer gasoHne for gasoHne blending. Commercial chemical derivatives include polypropylene, acrylonitrile, propylene oxide, isopropyl alcohol, and others. In 1992, ca 64% of U.S. propylene suppHes were consumed in the production of chemicals (74). Polypropylene has been the largest consumer of propylene since the early 1970s and is likely to dominate propylene utilization for some time. 

The second process involves reaction of propylene with peroxides, as in the Oxirane process (97), in which either isobutane or ethylbenzene is oxidized to form a hydroperoxide. 

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. 

The / f/-butanol (TBA) coproduct is purified for further use as a gasoline additive. Upon reaction with methanol, methyl tert-huty ether (MTBE) is produced. Alternatively the TBA is dehydrated to isobutylene which is further hydrogenated to isobutane for recycle ia the propylene oxide process. 

The Arco Propylene Oxide Process produces /-butyl alcohol as a coproduct of propylene oxide [75-56-9] when isobutane is used as a starting material. 

The process can be modified to give predominandy or solely /-butyl alcohol. Thus, /-butyl hydroperoxide (and /-butyl alcohol) produced by oxidation of isobutane in the first step of the process can be decomposed under controlled, catalytic conditions to give gasoline grade /-butyl alcohol (GTBA) in high selectivity (19—22). 

The oxygen released is recycled to the isobutane oxidation step. GTBA contains some methanol and acetone coproducts and is used as a blending agent for gasoline. 

There are other commercial processes available for the production of butylenes. However, these are site or manufacturer specific, eg, the Oxirane process for the production of propylene oxide the disproportionation of higher olefins and the oligomerisation of ethylene. Any of these processes can become an important source in the future. More recentiy, the Coastal Isobutane process began commercialisation to produce isobutylene from butanes for meeting the expected demand for methyl-/ rZ-butyl ether (40). 

Oxirane Process. In Arco s Oxirane process, tert-huty alcohol is a by-product in the production of propylene oxide from a propjiene—isobutane mixture. Polymer-grade isobutylene can be obtained by dehydration of the alcohol. / fZ-Butyl alcohol [75-65-0] competes directly with methyl-/ fZ-butyl ether as a gasoline additive, but its potential is limited by its partial miscibility with gasoline. Current surplus dehydration capacity can be utilized to produce isobutylene as more methyl-/ fZ-butyl ether is diverted as high octane blending component. 

The various sources of isobutylene are C streams from fluid catalytic crackers, olefin steam crackers, isobutane dehydrogenation units, and isobutylene produced by Arco as a coproduct with propylene oxide. Isobutylene concentrations (weight basis) are 12 to 15% from fluid catalytic crackers, 45% from olefin steam crackers, 45 to 55% from isobutane dehydrogenation, and high purity isobutylene coproduced with propylene oxide. The etherification unit should be designed for the specific feedstock that will be processed. 

The gas approximates plug flow except in wide columns, but the liqiiid undergoes considerable oa mixiug. The latter effect can be reduced with packing or perforated plates. The effect on selectivity may become important. In the oxidation of hquid /i-butane, for instance, the ratio of methyl ethyl ketone to acetic acid is much higher in plug flow than in mixed. Similarly, in the air oxidation of isobutane to tei t-huty hydroperoxide, where te/ t-butanol also is obtained, plug flow is more desirable. 

The most common fuels were divided into three groups according to reactivity. The low-reactivity group included ammonia, methane, and natural gas hydrogen, acetylene, and ethylene oxide were classified as highly reactive. Those within these extremes, for example, ethane, ethylene, propane, propylene, butane, and isobutane, were classified as medium-reactivity fuels. 

Like propane, n-hutane is mainly obtained from natural gas liquids. It is also a hy-product from different refinery operations. Currently, the major use of n-hutane is to control the vapor pressure of product gasoline. Due to new regulations restricting the vapor pressure of gasolines, this use is expected to he substantially reduced. Surplus n-butane could be isomerized to isobutane, which is currently in high demand for producing isobutene. Isobutene is a precursor for methyl and ethyl tertiary butyl ethers, which are important octane number boosters. Another alternative outlet for surplus n-butane is its oxidation to maleic anhydride. Almost all new maleic anhydride processes are based on butane oxidation. 

Similarly, methane Cl spectrum of 18a was found to be dominated by the (C6H5C= CC6H5 + H)+ ion. A distinct molecular ion species at m/e value corresponding to (M + H)+ was observed in the methane mass spectra of this thiirene oxide (26% 2 40). Furthermore, the relative intensity of the (M +H)+ peak of 18a was shown to increase substantially in the isobutane and dimethyl amine Cl mass spectra91. 

The enoHsation may be rate-determining (to afford the zero-order dependence on oxidant concentration) or the oxidation step may be slower (to give the first-order dependence). The second-order dependence on oxidant concentration for acetone and nitroethane cannot involve slow oxidation of a free radical and no ready alternative explanation is available. Maltz showed that the rate of oxidation of isobutanal equals the rate of enolisation, and that two main paths of oxidation are followed subsequent to enolisation leading either to tetramethyldihydropyrazine and a poly-aquocyanoiron(II) species or to isobutyric acid. 

Catalytic testings have been performed using the same rig and a conventional fixed-bed placed in the inner volume of the tubular membrane. The catalyst for isobutane dehydrogenation [9] was a Pt-based solid and sweep gas was used as indicated in Fig. 2. For propane oxidative dehydrogenation a V-Mg-0 mixed oxide [10] was used and the membrane separates oxygen and propane (the hydrocarbon being introduced in the inner part of the reactor). 

Most of the results have been already partly presented in [9] (isobutane dehydrogenation) and [10] (propane oxidative dehydrogenation). Let us recall that the membrane presented in this paper has been associated with a fixed bed catalyst placed within the tube. 

Fig. 3. FT-IR spectra of the adsorbed species arising from the interaction of (a) rerr-butanol and (b) isobutane over a combustion catalyst (MgCr204) at 423 K, and from rerr-butanol (373 K, c), isobutene (300 K, d) and isobutane (380 K, e) on a selective oxidation catalyst.

The activity and decay behaviour of the different porous heteropolycompounds were compared in two reactions requiring strong acid sites the n-butane isomerization and the isobutane/2-butene alkylation. Although these two reactions are important in the petroleum refining industry, n-butane isomerization is often used as a "test reaction" since it is known that this reaction requires very strong acid sites and only a limited number of oxides are active in this reaction, under mild conditions (T = 473 K). 

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