Propylene direct oxidation

Direct oxidation of propylene with air or pure oxygen (equivalent to ethylene oxide manufacturing) is not efficient, since the silver catalysts used in the direct ethylene oxidation are not suitable for the reaction of alkenes with allylic hydrogen atoms (like propylene). Direct oxidation of propylene results mainly in acrolein formation and total oxidation. Some 3% of the world capacity of PO is produced by very recently developed processes, for example, hydroperoxidation of cumene and propylene and catalytic epoxidation of propylene using H2O2. 

Production of acetone by dehydrogenation of isopropyl alcohol began in the early 1920s and remained the dominant production method through the 1960s. In the mid-1960s virtually all United States acetone was produced from propylene. A process for direct oxidation of propylene to acetone was developed by Wacker Chemie (12), but is not beheved to have been used in the United States. However, by the mid-1970s 60% of United States acetone capacity was based on cumene hydroperoxide [80-15-9], which accounted for about 65% of the acetone produced. 

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. 

Process flow sheets and process descriptions given herein are estimates of the various commercial processes. There are also several potential commercial processes, including variations on the chlorohydrin process, variations on the hydroperoxide process, and direct oxidation of propylene. 

Direct Oxidation of Propylene to Propylene Oxide. Comparison of ethylene (qv) and propylene gas-phase oxidation on supported silver and silver—gold catalysts shows propylene oxide formation to be 17 times slower than ethylene oxide (qv) formation and the CO2 formation in the propylene system to be six times faster, accounting for the lower selectivity to propylene oxide than for ethylene oxide. Increasing gold content in the catalyst results in increasing acrolein selectivity (198). In propylene oxidation a polymer forms on the catalyst surface that is oxidized to CO2 (199—201). Studies of propylene oxide oxidation to CO2 on a silver catalyst showed a rate oscillation, presumably owing to polymerization on the catalyst surface upon subsequent oxidation (202). 

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. 

Other Derivatives and Reactions. The vapor-phase condensation of ethanol to give acetone has been well documented in the Hterature (376—385) however, acetone is usually obtained as a by-product from the cumene (qv) process, by the direct oxidation of propylene, or from 2-propanol. 

The direct oxidation of propylene using air or oxygen produces acrolein. Acrolein may further he oxidized to acrylic acid, which is a monomer for polyacrylic resins. 

The direct oxidation of propylene with oxygen is a noncatalytic reaction occurring at approximately 90-140°C and 15-20 atmospheres. In this reaction hydrogen peroxide is coproduced with acetone. At 15% isopropanol conversion, the approximate yield of acetone is 93% and that for H2O2 is 87% ... 

Much like the oxidation of propylene, which produces acrolein and acrylic acid, the direct oxidation of isobutylene produces methacrolein and methacrylic acid. The catalyzed oxidation reaction occurs in two steps due to the different oxidation characteristics of isobutylene (an olefin) and methacrolein (an unsaturated aldehyde). In the first step, isobutylene is oxidized to methacrolein over a molybdenum oxide-based catalyst in a temperature range of 350-400°C. Pressures are a little above atmospheric ... 

In the 1940s and 1950s, a considerable amount of research was funded to find and develop the chemists impossible dream a process for the direct oxidation of ethylene to EO, without any by-products. Finally, Union Carbide found the silver bullet that did the joE)—a catalyst made of silver oxide. Silver oxide is the only substance found having sufficient activity and selectivity. (Activity relates to the amount of conversion, selectivity relates to the right yield.) Moreover, ethylene is the only olefin affected in this way. The others, propylene, butylene, etc., tend to oxidize completely, forming carbon dioxide and water. But when silver oxide is used as a catalyst with ethylene, the dominant reaction is the formation of EO. Some ethylene still ends up being further oxidized, as much as 25% in some processes, as shown in Figure 10—2. 

You have to talk about propylene oxide and propylene glycol after ethylene oxide and glycol. Its not that the chemical configurations are so similar (they are), or that the process chemistry is about the same (it is). The Fact is that much of the propylene oxide is now made in plants originally designed and constructed to produce EO, not PO. As you read in the last chapter, the chlorohydrin route to EO was abandoned by the 1970s in favor of direct oxidation. At the same time, the EO producers found that the old EO plants were suitable for the production of PO and certainly the cheapest hardware available to satisfy growing PO demands. 

Direct oxidation of propylene. Major chemical use for acetone. Feedstock for MEK. 

Since approximately 2.2 lb of /-butyl alcohol would be produced per 1 lb of propylene oxide, an alternative reactant in this method is ethylbenzene hydroperoxide. This eventually forms phenylmethylcarbinol along with the propylene oxide. The alcohol is dehydrated to styrene. This chemistry was covered in Chapter 9, Section 6 as one of the syntheses of styrene. Thus the side product can be varied depending on the demand for substances such as /-butyl alcohol or styrene. Research is being done on a direct oxidation of propylene with oxygen, analogous to that used in the manufacture of ethylene oxide from ethylene and oxygen (Chapter 9, Section 7). But the proper catalyst and conditions have not yet been found. The methyl group is very sensitive to oxidation conditions. 

Some acrylates are still produced by a modified Reppe process that involves the reaction of acetylene, the appropriate alcohol (in the case of butyl acrylate, butyl alcohol is used), and carbon monoxide in the presence of an acid. The process is continuous and a small amount of acrylates is made this way. The most economical method of acrylate production is that of the direct oxidation of propylene to acrylic acid, followed by esterification. 

The direct oxidation of ethylene to EO by O2 has now replaced the chlorohydrin process entirely because it is cheaper and involves less byproducts, but propylene oxide (a monomer in polyurethanes) is still made by the chlorohydrin route. 

Direct Oxidation. Direct oxidation of petroleum hydrocarbons has been practiced on a small scale since 1926 methanol, formaldehyde, and acetaldehyde are produced. A much larger project (29) began operating in 1945. The main product of the latter operation is acetic acid, used for the manufacture of cellulose acetate rayon. The oxidation process consists of mixing air with a butane-propane mixture and passing the compressed mixture over a catalyst in a tubular reaction furnace. The product mixture includes acetaldehyde, formaldehyde, acetone, propyl and butyl alcohols, methyl ethyl ketone, and propylene oxide and glycols. The acetaldehyde is oxidized to acetic acid in a separate plant. Thus the products of this operation are the same as those (or their derivatives) produced by olefin hydration and other aliphatic syntheses. 

Ethylene and Propylene Oxides. Ethylene oxide (26) and its derivatives are among the important aliphatic chemicals the 1950 production amounted to between 400,000,000 and 500,000,000 pounds. The chlorohydrin process was introduced in the early 1920 s and the direct oxidation process in the 1930 s, both based on ethylene. In the older process, the one most used today, the ethylene reacts in solution with hypo-chlorous acid at room temperature. 

Acetic Anhydride. Other products recovered from the oxidation of light hydrocarbons (6) are acetic acid and acetic anhydride as well as acetaldehyde, acetone, and isopropyl alcohol, all of which may be converted to acetic acid or the anhydride. The direct oxidation process supplements the production of acetic anhydride from acetone derived from propylene, which has been the principal commercial source of the anhydride. The increasing production of cellulose acetate within recent years has been attributed to the low cost of acetic anhydride from the latter process (44). 

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. 

A method of considerable industrial importance for the large-scale preparation of ethylene oxide is direct oxidation of ethylene at elevated temperatures over a suitably prepared metallic silver catalyst. Although the reaction may be written aa indicated in Eq. (09), in actual practice only about half the ethylene is converted into ethylene oxide, the remainder being oxidized further to carbon dioxide and water. In spite of this seeming disadvantage, catalytic oxidation appears at present to bo economically competitive with chlorohydrin formation aa a means for the commercial production of ethylene oxide.MM Unfortunately, other olefins, such as propylene and mo-butylene for example, apparently give only carbon dioxide and water under the usual oxidation conditions,1310 so that until now the patent hu balance ethylene oxide has been the only representative accessible by tins route. 

The most economical method of acrylate production is that of the direct oxidation of propylene to acrylic acid, followed by esterification. 

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. 

Although the chlorohydrin route is still used to convert propylene to propylene oxide, a more efficient air epoxidation of ethylene in the presence of a silver catalyst is used and involves a direct oxidation method (Fig. 1). 

Standard Oil of California added the petrochemicals of Gulf Oil, purchased in 1984, to its subsidiary Chevron Chemical. Other United States petrochemical producers took advantage of special circumstances. Amoco was served by a strong terephthalic (TPA) base and its good performance in polypropylene Arco, by its Lyondell subsidiary in Channelview, Texas, and by its development of the Oxirane process through which propylene oxide could be produced by direct oxidation with styrene as a coproduct. The process also led to MTBE (methyl tertiary-butyl ether), the antiknock agent used as a substitute for tetraethyl lead. 

New synthetic processes for the preparation of established products were also industrially developed in Japan the manufacture of methyl methacrylate from C4 olefins, by Sumitomo and Nippon Shokubai in France, the simultaneous production of hydroquinone and pyro-catechin through hydrogen peroxide oxidation of phenol by Rhone-Poulenc in the United States the production of propylene oxide through direct oxidation of propylene operating jointly with styrene production, developed by Ralph Landau and used in the Oxirane subsidiary with Arco, which the latter fully took over in 1980 in Germany and Switzerland, the synthesis of vitamin A from terpenes, used by BASF and Hoffmann-La Roche. 

Catalysis (27-30) which allows for the direct oxidation of benzene to produce phenol. Economic analyses have shown that these are attractive only in specific instances where, for example, a cheap source of N20 is available. Nevertheless, these developments have shown that direct oxidation is possible and further innovations in this area should probably be expected. The demands for acetone and phenol have generally tended to follow each other. However, as bisphenol A becomes an even more important end use for phenol and acetone, there will be a need for a separate source of phenol. The synthesis of bisphenol A requires two moles of phenol for every one mole of acetone, while the peroxidation of cumene produces one mole of each. Still, processes such as the direct oxidation of benzene are unlikely to have a major impact on cumene demand in the short term since there are competing processes such as Mitsui s for converting acetone back to propylene. 

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