Propylene chlorohydrin, manufacture

CH3 CH0H CH20H, a colourless, almost odourless liquid. It has a sweet taste, but is more acrid than ethylene glycol b.p. 187. Manufactured by heating propylene chlorohydrin with a solution of NaHCO under pressure. It closely resembles dihydroxyethane in its properties, but is less toxic. Forms mono-and di-esters and ethers. Used as an anti-freeze and in the preparation of perfumes and flavouring extracts, as a solvent and in... 

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. 

There have been a number of cell designs tested for this reaction. Undivided cells using sodium bromide electrolyte have been tried (see, for example. Ref. 29). These have had electrode shapes for in-ceU propylene absorption into the electrolyte. The chief advantages of the electrochemical route to propylene oxide are elimination of the need for chlorine and lime, as well as avoidance of calcium chloride disposal (see Calcium compounds, calcium CHLORIDE Lime and limestone). An indirect electrochemical approach meeting these same objectives employs the chlorine produced at the anode of a membrane cell for preparing the propylene chlorohydrin external to the electrolysis system. The caustic made at the cathode is used to convert the chlorohydrin to propylene oxide, reforming a NaCl solution which is recycled. Attractive economics are claimed for this combined chlor-alkali electrolysis and propylene oxide manufacture (135). 

Chlorohydantoin moiety, 73 113 Chlorohydrin, 72 649—650 Chlorohydrination, in the chlorohydrin process, 20 799-800 Chlorohydrin processes, 70 655 24 172 for propylene oxide manufacture, 20 796, 798-801... 

Propylene Chlorohydrin. Propylene chlorohydrin is synthesized with the aim of producing propylene oxide. Although the latter is manufactured commercially mainly by the direct oxidation of propylene, the chlorohydrination process is still in limited use. 

PO was manufactured by the chlorohydrin route first during World War I in Germany by BASF and others. This route (below) involves reaction of propylene with hypochlorous acid followed by treatment of the resulting propylene chlorohydrin with a base such as caustic or lime. The products of the second reaction are PO and sodium or calcium chloride (Fig. 10.22). 

E. Bartolome, W. Koehler, G. Stoeckelman, A. May, Continuous manufacture of propylene oxide from propylene chlorohydrine, U.S. Patent No. 3,886,187,1975, Assigned to BASF Corporation. 

Olin has developed a new process for manufacturing PO by direct oxidation of propylene. There are also several peroxidation technologies for production of PO. Possible breakthroughs in the non-propylene chlorohydrin-based routes could reduce the demand for chlorine for making PO. 

Propylene Oxide n CH3CH(0)CH2 (1,2 -propylene oxide, 1,2 epoxypropane). A low boiling, liquid epoxide compound derived from the intermediate propylene chlorohydrin, which is itself produced by reacting propylene with chlorine and water. Propylene oxide is an important intermediate for the manufacture of polyglycols used for polyurethane foams and resins, and polyester resins. 

The molecule C3H6O is propylene oxide, an important raw material in the manufacture of unsaturated polyesters, such as those used for boat bodies, and in the manufacture of polyurethanes, such as the foam in automobile seats. Reaction (1-A) describes the stoichiometry of the chlorohydrin process for propylene oxide manufacture. This process is used for about one-half of the worldwide production of propylene oxide. 

Propylene oxide [75-56-9] (methyloxirane, 1,2-epoxypropane) is a significant organic chemical used primarily as a reaction intermediate for production of polyether polyols, propylene glycol, alkanolamines (qv), glycol ethers, and many other useful products (see Glycols). Propylene oxide was first prepared in 1861 by Oser and first polymerized by Levene and Walti in 1927 (1). Propylene oxide is manufactured by two basic processes the traditional chlorohydrin process (see Chlorohydrins) and the hydroperoxide process, where either / fZ-butanol (see Butyl alcohols) or styrene (qv) is a co-product. Research continues in an effort to develop a direct oxidation process to be used commercially. 

Dehydrochlorination to Epoxides. The most useful chemical reaction of chlorohydrins is dehydrochlotination to form epoxides (oxkanes). This reaction was first described by Wurtz in 1859 (12) in which ethylene chlorohydria and propylene chlorohydria were treated with aqueous potassium hydroxide [1310-58-3] to form ethylene oxide and propylene oxide, respectively. For many years both of these epoxides were produced industrially by the dehydrochlotination reaction. In the past 40 years, the ethylene oxide process based on chlorohydria has been replaced by the dkect oxidation of ethylene over silver catalysts. However, such epoxides as propylene oxide (qv) and epichl orohydrin are stiU manufactured by processes that involve chlorohydria intermediates. 

For many years ethylene chlorohydrin was manufactured on a large iadustrial scale as a precursor to ethylene oxide, but this process has been almost completely displaced by the direct oxidation of ethylene to ethylene oxide over silver catalysts. However, siace other commercially important epoxides such as propylene oxide and epichlorohydrin cannot be made by direct oxidation of the parent olefin, chlorohydrin iatermediates are stiU important ia the manufacture of these products. 

Fig. 2. Diagram of a typical chlorohydrin reactor for manufacture of propylene oxide. M.O.L. = milk of lime. To convert kPa to mm Hg, multiply by 7.5.

The most important chemical reaction of chi orohydrin s is dehydrochloriaation to produce epoxides. In the case of propylene oxide. The Dow Chemical Company is the only manufacturer ia the United States that still uses the chlorohydrin technology. In 1990 the U.S. propylene oxide production capacity was hsted as 1.43 x 10 t/yr, shared almost equally by Dow and Arco Chemical Co., which uses a process based on hydroperoxide iatermediates (69,70). More recentiy, Dow Europe SA, aimounced a decision to expand its propylene oxide capacity by 160,000 metric tons per year at the Stade, Germany site. This represents about a 40% iacrease over the current capacity (71). 

Propylene oxide (PO) is an important intermediate in the manufacture of a wide range of valuable products propylene glycol, ethers, isopropanolamines, and various propoxylated products for polyurethanes (1). The current processes for the large scale synthesis of PO include (i) the chlorohydrin process and (ii) the peroxide process (1, 2). 

Another example of a famous organic chemical reaction being replaced by a catalytic process is furnished by the manufacture of ethylene oxide. For many years it was made by chlorohydrin formation followed by dehydrochlorination to the epoxide. Although the chlorohydrin route is still used to convert propylene to propylene oxide, a more efficient air epoxidation of ethylene is used and the chlorohydrin process for ethylene oxide manufacture has not been used since 1972. 

There are two important methods for the manufacture of propylene oxide, each accounting for one half the total amount produced. The older method involves chlorohydrin formation from the reaction of propylene with chlorine water. Before 1969 this was the exclusive method. Unlike the analogous procedure for making ethylene oxide from ethylene, which now is obsolete, this method for propylene oxide is still economically competitive. Many old ethylene oxide plants have been converted to propylene oxide synthesis. 

As an aside to the manufacture of propylene oxide via the chlorohydrin process let us mention use of this type of chemistry to make epichlorohydrin. 

Chlorine is principally used to produce organic compounds. But, in many cases chlorine is used as a route to a final product that contains no chlorine. For instance propylene oxide has traditionally been manufactured by the chlorohydrin process. Modern technology permits abandoning this route in favor of direct oxidation, thus eliminating a need for chlorine. 

There are two important methods for the manufacture of propylene oxide. The older method involves chlorohydrin formation from the reaction of propylene with chlorine water (Fig. 1). 

The key to the success of the oxidation examples cited above is the ability of the catalysts used to exert proper kinetic control on the possible side reactions. Without it, thermodynamically favorable but undesired products such as CO2 and H2O are made instead. Controlling oxidation kinetics to stop at the desired oxygenated products is quite difficult, and has yet to be solved for many other systems. For instance, although many attempts have been made to develop a commercial process for the oxidation of propylene to propylene oxide, both the activity and the selectivity of the systems proposed to date, mostly based on silver catalysts, are still too low to be of industrial interest " propylene oxide is presently manufactured by processes based on chlorohydrin or hydrogen peroxide instead. In spite of these difficulties, though, recent advances in selective liquid phase oxidation of fine chemicals on supported metal catalysts have shown some promise, offering high yields (close to 100%) under mild reaction conditions." ... 

Propylene oxide (PO) is an important chemical intermediate, which is mainly used in the manufacture of polyols, propylene glycols, and propylene glycol ethers [1]. The world annual production capacity of PO is about 7 million metric tons [2]. PO is mainly produced commercially by either the chlorohydrin (about 43%) or organic hydroperoxide processes. The chlorohydrin route produces large amounts of salt by-product, and new plants have used the hydroperoxide processes [3]. 

Propylene oxide (PO) is an industrially important chemical for the manufacture of polyurethane, unsaturated resins, surfactants and other products. Industrially PO is produced using two processes Chlorohydrin process and Halcon (hydroperoxide) process [1]. The former process produces environmentally unfriendly chlorinated organic byproducts as well as calcium chloride, while the latter process produces equimolar amounts of co-products and requires heavy capital investment. 

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