Sebacic acids

HOOC-[CHa]8-COOH, CioH.aO. Colourless leaflets m.p. 134°C. Manufactured by heating castor oil with alkalis or by distillation of oleic acid. Forms an anhydride, m.p. 78 C. The esters of sebacic acid are used as plasticizers, especially for vinyl resins. 

Diethyl sebacate. Method A. Reflux a mixture of 100 g. of sebacic acid, 81 g. (102-5 ml.) of absolute ethyl alcohol, 190 ml. of sodium-dried benzene and 20 g. (11 ml.) of concentrated sulphuric acid for 36 hours. Work up as for Diethyl Adipate. B.p. 155-156°/6 mm. Yield 114 g. 

Method B. Reflux a mixture of 101 g. of sebacic acid, 196 g. (248 ml.) of absolute ethjd alcohol and 20 ml. of concentrated sulphuric acid for 12 hours. Distil oft about half of the alcohol on a water bath dilute the residue with 500-750 ml. of water, remove the upper layer of crude ester, and extract the aqueous layer with ether. Wash the combined ethereal extract and crude ester with water, then with saturated sodium bicarbonate solution until effervescence ceases, and finally with water. Dry with anhydrous magnesium or sodium sulphate, remove the ether on a water bath, and distil the residue under reduced pressure. B.p. 155-157°/6 mm. Yield llOg. 

The position of the triple bond is established by oxidation of the latter by means of alkaline potassium permanganate solution to sebacic acid, H02C(CH2)gC0jH, m.p. 133°. 

Oxidation of 10-undecynoic acid to sebacic acid. Dissolve 2 00 g. of the acid, m.p. 41-42°, in 50 ml. of water containing 0 -585 g. of pure anhydrous sodium carbonate. Saturate the solution with carbon dioxide and add O IN potassium permanganate solution (about 1500 ml.) slowly and with constant stirring until the pink colour remains for half an hour the addition occupies about 3 hours. Decolourise the solution with a httle sulphur dioxide and filter off the precipitated acid through a... 

Decane-1 10-dicarboxylic acid from sebacic acid. Convert sebacic acid into the acid chloride by treatment with phosphorus penta-chloride (2 mols) and purify by distillation b.p. 146-143°/2 mm. the yield is almost quantitative. Dissolve the resulting sebacoyl chloride in anhydrous ether and add the solution slowly to an ethereal solution of excess of diazomethane (prepared from 50 g. of nitrosomethylurea) allow the mixture to stand overnight. Remove the ether and excess of diazomethane under reduced pressure the residual crystalline 1 8-bis-diazoacetyloctane weighs 19 -3 g. and melts at 91° after crystaUisation from benzene. 

By increasing the molar proportion of the monocarboxylic acid, the yield of (II) is improved. Thus electrolysis of a mixture of decanoic acid (n-decoic acid capric acid) (V) (2 mols) and methyl hydrogen adipate (VI) (1 mol) in anhydrous methanol in the presence of a little sodium methoxide gives, after hydrolysis of the esters formed, n-octadecane (VII), tetradecanoic or myristic acid (VIH) and sebacic acid (IX) ... 

Sebacic acid. Dissolve 40 g. of methyl hydrogen adipate in 100 ml. of absolute methanol to which 01 g. of sodium has been added. Pass a current of about 2 0 amps, until the pH of the solution is about 8 (ca. 5 hours) test with B.D.H. narrow-range indicator paper. Transfer the contents of the electrolysis cell to a 500 ml. round-bottomed flask, render neutral with a little acetic acid, and distil off the methanol on a water... 

Reflux 14 6 g. of the ester with a solution of 10 g. of sodium hydroxide in 125 ml. of 80 per cent, methanol for 2 hours on a water bath. Add 200 ml. of water to dissolve the solid which separates, extract with two 30 ml. portions of ether, and warm the aqueous solution on a water bath to remove dissolved ether. Acidify the ice cold aqueous solution to litmus by the addition of concentrated hydrochloric acid. Collect the precipitated acid by suction filtration, wash it with a little cold water, and dry at 100°. The yield of sebacic acid, m.p. 133°, is 11 - 5 g... 

Polyamides from diamines and dibasic acids. The polyamides formed from abphatic diamines (ethylene- to decamethylene-diamine) and abphatic dibasic acids (oxabc to sebacic acid) possess the unusual property of forming strong fibres. By suitable treatment, the fibres may be obtained quite elastic and tough, and retain a high wet strength. These prpperties render them important from the commercial point of view polyamides of this type are cabed nylons The Nylon of commerce (a 66 Nylon, named after number of carbon atoms in the two components) is prepared by heating adipic acid and hexamethylenediamine in an autoclave ... 

Aqueous caprolactam is polymerized alone and in the presence of sebacic acid (S) or hexamethylenediamine (H).t After a 24-hr reaction time, the polymer is isolated and the end groups are analyzed by titrating the carboxyl groups with KOH in benzyl alcohol and the amino groups with p-toluenesulfonic acid in trifluoroethanol. The number of milliequivalents of carboxyl group per mole caprolactam converted to polymer, [A ], and the number of milliequivalents of amino groups per mole caprolactam converted to polymer, [B ], are given below for three different runs ... 

Batzer has reported the following data for a fractionated polyester made from sebacic acid and 1,6-hexanediol ... 

Reimschuessel and Deget polymerized caprolactam in sealed tubes containing about 0.0205 mol HjO per mole caprolactam. In addition, acetic acid (V), sebacic acid (S), hexamethylene diamine (H), and trimesic acid (T) were introduced as additives into separate runs. The following table lists (all data per mole caprolactam) the amounts of additive present and the analysis for end groups in various runs ... 

Sebacic acid Sebacic acid [110-20-6] Sebacic acid [111-20-6]... 

Dibasic Acid Esters. Dibasic acid esters (diesters) are prepared by the reaction of a dibasic acid with an alcohol that contains one reactive hydroxyl group (see Esters, organic). The backbone of the stmcture is formed by the acid. The alcohol radicals are joined to the ends of the acid. The physical properties of the final product can be varied by using different alcohols or acids. Compounds that are typically used are adipic, azelaic, and sebacic acids and 2-ethyIhexyl, 3,5,5-trimethyIhexyl, isodecyl, and tridecyl alcohols. 

The by-product of this process, pelargonic acid [112-05-0] is also an item of commerce. The usual source of sebacic acid [111-20-6] for nylon-6,10 [9008-66-6] is also from a natural product, ticinoleic acid [141-22-0] (12-hydroxyoleic acid), isolated from castor oil [8001-79-4]. The acid reacts with excess sodium or potassium hydroxide at high temperatures (250—275°C) to produce sebacic acid and 2-octanol [123-96-6] (166) by cleavage at the 9,10-unsaturated position. The manufacture of dodecanedioic acid [693-23-2] for nylon-6,12 begins with the catalytic trimerization of butadiene to make cyclododecatriene [4904-61-4] followed by reduction to cyclododecane [294-62-2] (see Butadiene). The cyclododecane is oxidatively cleaved to dodecanedioic acid in a process similar to that used in adipic acid production. 

Mliphatic dibasic acids such as succinic acid, adipic acid, azelaic acid, and sebacic acids have also been used to make alkyd resins. Their linear chain stmcture lends higher flexibiUty and lower viscosity to the resin as compared to the rigid aromatic rings of phthaUc acids. 

Alkali fusion of oleic acid at about 350°C ia the Varrentrapp reaction causes double-bond isomerization to a conjugated system with the carboxylate group followed by oxidative cleavage to form palmitic acid (75). In contrast, alkaU fusion of riciaoleic acid is the commercial route to sebacic acid [111 -20-6] ... 

H-C-H H-C-H H-C-H Caustic fusion NaOH Sebacic acid, capryl alcohol... 

Alkali Fusion. Tha alkaU fusion of castor oil using sodium or potassium hydroxide in the presence of catalysts to spHt the ricinoleate molecule, results in two different products depending on reaction conditions (37,38). At lower (180—200°C) reaction temperatures using one mole of alkah, methylhexyl ketone and 10-hydroxydecanoic acid are prepared. The 10-hydroxydecanoic acid is formed in good yield when either castor oil or methyl ricinoleate [141-24-2] is fused in the presence of a high boiling unhindered primary or secondary alcohol such as 1- or 2-octanol. An increase to two moles of alkali/mole ricinoleate and a temperature of 250—275°C produces capryl alcohol [123-96-6] CgH gO, and sebacic acid [111-20-6] C QH gO, (39—41). Sebacic acid is used in the manufacture of nylon-6,10. 

Sebacic Acid. This acid is produced commercially by Union Camp in Dover, Ohio, by Hokoku OU Company in Japan, and by a state enterprise in the People s RepubHc of China (57). The process used in each case is based on the caustic oxidation of castor oU or ricinoleic acid [141-22-0] in... 

A number of process improvements have been described, and iaclude the use of white mineral oil having a boiling range of 300—400°C (60) or the use of a mixture of cresols (61). These materials act to reduce the reaction mixture s viscosity, thus improving mixing. Higher sebacic acid yields are claimed by the use of catalysts such as barium salts (62), cadmium salts (63), lead oxide, and salts (64). 

An electrooxidation process was developed by Asahi Chemical Industry ia Japan, and was also piloted by BASF ia Germany. It produces high purity sebacic acid from readily available adipic acid. The process consists of 3 steps. Adipic acid is partially esterified to the monomethyl adipate. Electrolysis of the potassium salt of monomethyl adipate ia a mixture of methanol and water gives dimethyl sebacate. The last step is the hydrolysis of dimethyl sebacate to sebacic acid. Overall yields are reported to be about 85% (65). 

Another alternative method to produce sebacic acid iavolves a four-step process. First, butadiene [106-99-0] is oxycarbonylated to methyl pentadienoate which is then dimerized, usiag a palladium catalyst, to give a triply unsaturated dimethyl sebacate iatermediate. This unsaturated iatermediate is hydrogenated to dimethyl sebacate which can be hydrolyzed to sebacic acid. Small amounts of branched chain isomers are removed through solvent crystallizations giving sebacic acid purities of greater than 98% (66). 

The electrochemical conversions of conjugated dienes iato alkadienedioic acid have been known for some time. Butadiene has been converted iato diethyl-3,7-decadiene-l,10,dioate by electrolysis ia a methanol—water solvent (67). An improvement described ia the patent Hterature (68) uses an anhydrous aprotic solvent and an electrolyte along with essentially equimolar amounts of carbon dioxide and butadiene a mixture of decadienedioic acids is formed. This material can be hydrogenated to give sebacic acid. 

Diesters. Many of the diester derivatives are commercially important. The diesters are important plasticizers, polymer intermediates, and synthetic lubricants. The diesters of azelaic and sebacic acids are useflil as monomeric plasticizing agents these perform weU at low temperatures and are less water-soluble and less volatile than are diesters of adipic acid. Azelate diesters, eg, di- -hexyl, di(2-ethylhexyl), and dibutyl, are useflil plasticizing agents for poly(vinyl chloride), synthetic mbbers, nitroceUulose, and other derivatized ceUuloses (104). The di-hexyl azelates and dibutyl sebacate are sanctioned by the U.S. Food and Dmg Administration for use in poly(vinyl chloride) films and in other plastics with direct contact to food. The di(2-ethylhexyl) and dibenzyl sebacates are also valuable plasticizers. Monomeric plasticizers have also been prepared from other diacids, notably dodecanedioic, brassyflc, and 8-eth5lhexadecanedioic (88), but these have not enjoyed the commercialization of the sebacic and azelaic diesters. 

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