Phase process

Almost all aspects of the field of chemistry involve tire flow of energy eitlier witliin or between molecules. Indeed, tire occurrence of a chemical reaction between two species implies tire availability of some minimum amount of energy in tire reacting system. The study of energy transfer processes is tluis a topic of fundamental importance in chemistry. Energy transfer in gases is of particular interest partly because very sophisticated methods have been developed to study such events and partly because gas phase processes lend tliemselves to very complete and detailed tlieoretical analysis. 

Alkylthiazoles can be oxidized to nitriles in the presence of ammonia and a catalyst. For example, 4-cyanothiazole was prepared from 4-methylthiazole by a one-step vapor-phase process (94) involving reaction with a mixture of air, oxygen, and ammonia at 380 to 460°C. The catalyst was M0O3 and V Oj or M0O3, VjOj, and CoO on an alumina support. 

Whereas recombinant proteins produced as inclusion bodies in bacterial fermentations may be amenable to reversed-phase chromatography (42), the use of reversed-phase process chromatography does not appear to be widespread for higher molecular weight proteins. 

The reaction of adipic acid with ammonia in either Hquid or vapor phase produces adipamide as an intermediate which is subsequentiy dehydrated to adiponitrile. The most widely used catalysts are based on phosphoms-containing compounds, but boron compounds and siHca gel also have been patented for this use (52—56). Vapor-phase processes involve the use of fixed catalyst beds whereas, in Hquid—gas processes, the catalyst is added to the feed. The reaction temperature of the Hquid-phase processes is ca 300°C and most vapor-phase processes mn at 350—400°C. Both operate at atmospheric pressure. Yields of adipic acid to adiponitrile are as high as 95% (57). 

In 1987, Toray Industries, Inc., announced the development of a new process for making aromatic nitriles which reportedly halved the production cost, reduced waste treatment requirements, and reduced production time by more than two-thirds, compared with the vapor-phase process used by most producers. The process iavolves the reaction of ben2oic acid (or substituted ben2oic acid) with urea at 220—240°C ia the presence of a metallic catalyst (78). 

This was a Hquid-phase process which used what was described as siUceous zeoUtic catalysts. Hydrogen was not required in the process. Reactor pressure was 4.5 MPa and WHSV of 0.68 kg oil/h kg catalyst. The initial reactor temperature was 127°C and was raised as the catalyst deactivated to maintain toluene conversion. The catalyst was regenerated after the temperature reached about 315°C. Regeneration consisted of conventional controlled burning of the coke deposit. The catalyst life was reported to be at least 1.5 yr. 

Liquid- and vapor-phase processes have been described the latter appear to be advantageous. Supported cadmium, zinc, or mercury salts are used as catalysts. In 1963 it was estimated that 85% of U.S. vinyl acetate capacity was based on acetylene, but it has been completely replaced since about 1982 by newer technology using oxidative addition of acetic acid to ethylene (2) (see Vinyl polymers). In western Europe production of vinyl acetate from acetylene stiU remains a significant commercial route. 

Adsorption. In the design of the adsorption step of gas-phase processes, two phenomena must be considered, equiUbrium and mass transfer. Sometimes adsorption equiUbrium can be regarded as that of a single component, but mote often several components and their interactions must be accounted for. Design techniques for each phenomenon exist as well as some combined models for dynamic performance. 

Bromine Trifluoride. Bromine trifluoride is produced commercially by the reaction of fluorine with bromine ia a continuous gas-phase process where the ratio of fluorine to bromine is maintained close to 3 1. It is also produced ia a Hquid-phase batch reaction where fluorine is added to Hquid bromine at a temperature below the boiling poiat of bromine trifluoride. 

Heterogeneous vapor-phase fluorination of a chlorocarbon or chlorohydrocarbon with HP over a supported metal catalyst is an alternative to the hquid phase process. Salts of chromium, nickel, cobalt or iron on an A1P. support are considered viable catalysts in pellet or fluidized powder form. This process can be used to manufacture CPC-11 and CPC-12, but is hampered by the formation of over-fluorinated by-products with Httle to no commercial value. The most effective appHcation for vapor-phase fluorination is where all the halogens are to be replaced by fluorine, as in manufacture of 3,3,3-trifluoropropene [677-21 ] (14) for use in polyfluorosiHcones. 

Trioxane and Tetraoxane. The cycHc symmetrical trimer of formaldehyde, trioxane [110-88-3] is prepared by acid-catalyzed Hquid- or vapor-phase processes (147—151). It is a colorless crystalline soHd that bods at 114.5°C and melts at 61—62°C (17,152). The heats of formation are — 176.9 kJ/mol (—42.28 kcal/mol) from monomeric formaldehyde and —88.7 kJ/mol (—21.19 kcal/mol) from 60% aqueous formaldehyde. It can be produced by continuous distillation of 60% aqueous formaldehyde containing 2—5% sulfuric acid. Trioxane is extracted from the distillate with benzene or methylene chloride and recovered by distillation (153) or crystallization (154). It is mainly used for the production of acetal resins (qv). 

Vinyl ethers are prepared in a solution process at 150—200°C with alkaH metal hydroxide catalysts (32—34), although a vapor-phase process has been reported (35). A wide variety of vinyl ethers are produced commercially. Vinyl acetate has been manufactured from acetic acid and acetylene in a vapor-phase process using zinc acetate catalyst (36,37), but ethylene is the currently preferred raw material. Vinyl derivatives of amines, amides, and mercaptans can be made similarly. A/-Vinyl-2-pyrroHdinone is a commercially important monomer prepared by vinylation of 2-pyrroHdinone using a base catalyst. 

Finally, selective hydrogenation of the olefinic bond in mesityl oxide is conducted over a fixed-bed catalyst in either the Hquid or vapor phase. In the hquid phase the reaction takes place at 150°C and 0.69 MPa, in the vapor phase the reaction can be conducted at atmospheric pressure and temperatures of 150—170°C. The reaction is highly exothermic and yields 8.37 kJ/mol (65). To prevent temperature mnaways and obtain high selectivity, the conversion per pass is limited in the Hquid phase, and in the vapor phase inert gases often are used to dilute the reactants. The catalysts employed in both vapor- and Hquid-phase processes include nickel (66—76), palladium (77—79), copper (80,81), and rhodium hydride complexes (82). Complete conversion of mesityl oxide can be obtained at selectivities of 95—98%. 

The hquid-phase processes are more energy efficient than the vapor-phase processes, however, they iacur costiy high pressure equipment investment and also produce waste streams containing used catalyst (213). Both methods produce substantial quantities of by-products which cause refining difficulties. The by-products consist primarily of mesitylene [108-67-8] phorone [504-20-17, and the foUowiag xyUtone isomers (215) ... 

Substantial amounts of 3,3,6,8-tetramethyl-l-tetralone [5409-55-2] are also formed, most notably ia the vapor-phase process (216). This tetralone has been synthesized from isophorone and mesityl oxide and it can thus be assumed to be a product of these two materials ia the isophorone process (217,218). 

Depending on the means of conversion of manganate(V) to (VI), the process may be classified as a roasting or Hquid-phase process (Fig. 8). The roasting process employs a soHd reaction mixture having a molar ratio between MnO and KOH in the range of 1 2 to 1 3. In contrast, the Hquid-phase route operates at a higher (>1 5) molar ratio between MnO and KOH. 

The roasting process, or variations of it, are most common. Liquid-phase processes are ia operation, however, both ia the United States and the former USSR. The former USSR is the only place where KMnO was produced by anodic oxidation of ferromanganese. Table 17 summarizes the various KMnO manufactuting faciUties worldwide as of this writing. 

Olefin Separation. Olefin-containing streams are separated either by the OlefinSiv process (Union Carbide Corp.) separating / -butenes from isobutenes in the vapor phase, or the Olex process (Universal Oil Product) a Hquid-phase process. 

Both vapor-phase and Hquid-phase processes are employed to nitrate paraffins, using either HNO or NO2. The nitrations occur by means of free-radical steps, and sufftciendy high temperatures are required to produce free radicals to initiate the reaction steps. For Hquid-phase nitrations, temperatures of about 150—200°C are usually required, whereas gas-phase nitrations fall in the 200—440°C range. Sufficient pressures are needed for the Hquid-phase processes to maintain the reactants and products as Hquids. Residence times of several minutes are commonly required to obtain acceptable conversions. Gas-phase nitrations occur at atmospheric pressure, but pressures of 0.8—1.2 MPa (8—12 atm) are frequentiy employed in industrial units. The higher pressures expedite the condensation and recovery of the nitroparaffin products when cooling water is employed to cool the product gas stream leaving the reactor (see Nitroparaffins). 

Eor vapor-phase processes, the product stream from the nitrator must be separated. The nitroparaffins, excess propane, and NO plus NO2 (which are converted back to HNO ), are recovered. The oxygenated products are removed, but there are generally insufficient amounts for economic recovery. 

The vapor-phase process of SocifitH Chemique de la Grande Paroisse for production of nitroparaffins employs propane, nitrogen dioxide, and air as feedstocks (34). The yields of nitroparaffins based on both propane and nitrogen dioxide are relatively high. Nitric oxide produced during nitration is oxidized to nitrogen dioxide, which is adsorbed in nitric acid. Next, the nitric dioxide is stripped from the acid and recirculated. 

Nitromethane, nitroethane, 1-nitropropane, and 2-nitropropane are produced by a vapor-phase process developed ia the 1930s (2). 

Eig. 1. Melting curves (dsc) of two ethylene—1-hexene copolymers produced in a gas-phase process one with a uniform branching distribution (1-hexene content 2.5 mol %) and another with a nonuniform branching distribution (1-hexene content 2.8 mol %). 

Eluidized-bed reactors are highly versatile and can accommodate many types of polymerization catalysts. Most of the catalysts used for LLDPE production are heterogeneous Ziegler catalysts, in both supported and unsupported forms. The gas-phase process can also accommodate supported metallocene catalysts that produce compositionaHy uniform LLDPE resins (49—51). 

In the Godrej-Lurgi process, olefins are produced by dehydration of fatty alcohols on alumina in a continuous vapor-phase process. The reaction is carried out in a specially designed isothermal multitube reactor at a temperature of approximately 300°C and a pressure of 5—10 kPa (0.05—0.10 atm). As the reaction is endothermic, temperature is maintained by circulating externally heated molten salt solution around the reactor tubes. The reaction is sensitive to temperature fluctuations and gradients, hence the need to maintain an isothermal reaction regime. 

In addition to the Hquid-phase -butyl nitrite (BN) process, UBE Industries has estabHshed an industrial gas-phase process using methyl nitrite (50—52). The oudine of the process is described in Eigure 4 (52). This gas-phase process is operated under lower reaction pressure (at atmospheric pressure up to 490 kPa = 71 psi) and is more economical than the Hquid-phase process because of the foUowing reasons owing to the low pressure operation, the consumption of electricity is largely reduced (—60%) dimethyl oxalate (DMO) formation and the methyl nitrite (MN) regeneration reaction are mn... 

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