Shell Chemical Ketones

Shell Chemical Corp., Methyl Ethyl Ketone, 1938. 

Before we leave the discussion of industrial processes, it is worth mentioning one other autoxidation process, based on the oxidation of propan-2-ol, developed by Shell Chemicals. The process was employed by Shell in its 15 000 metric tonnes per annum facility at Norco between 1957 and 1980. The process was discovered in 1954 by Harris,25 who showed that the oxidation of primary and secondary alcohols formed hydrogen peroxide, and the corresponding aldehyde or ketone (Figure 1.11). 

Methyl Ethyl Ketone, Shell Chemical Corporation, Technical Publication... 

The practical application of this reaction, conducted by Shell Chemical on an industrial scale in its Norco. Louisiana, plant, shut down in 1980, is much more complex. Indeed, the initial objective was to symhdfe.gjycerin from propylene, with the production of acetone (or methyl ethyl ketone)asasubsitiiary product. The general scheme of this operation is as follows ... 

The oxygenated solvent in greatest use in coatings today (about 335 million Ib/yr) is methyl ethyl ketone. In 1932 Shell Chemical became the first commercial producer. It was made from n-butylene by hydration and subsequent dehydrogenation. Methyl ethyl ketone also is currently coproduced with acetic acid by the oxidation of n-butane by other manufacturers. 

Mesityl oxide was obtained from Shell Chemical Corporation [boiling range 127-130° (760 mm.), 97 wt. % ketone as mesityl oxide]. 

The industrially available ketones offer a wide range of evaporation rates for the various coating applications. A solvent with excellent solvency and a fast, intermediate or slow evaporation rate for a particular coating application is available in the commercially produced ketones. Major producers of the ketones include Eastman Chemical Company, Exxon Chemical Company, Hoechst Celanese Company, Shell Chemical Company, and Union Carbide Corporation. BASF Corporation produces the cyclic ketone cyclohexanone. Acetone the lowest boiling-point ketone is produced by The Dow Chemical Company, Exxon Chemical Company, and Texaco Chemical Company. 

During the same period Universal Oil Products developed olefin polymerization and hydrogenation processes and the Shell Chemical Company became interested in olefin chemistry and petrochemicals. Shell opened its Emeryville, California, research center in 1928 and developed methods for the production of alcohols, ketones, and esters from propylene and butylenes, as well as synthetic chlorohydrins, glycols, and glycerol. Many of these petroleum chemicals were produced in Martinez, California, from 1933 and the use of petrochemical catalysts became established. 

Synonyms AI3-01229 BRN 0605399 Caswell No. 574AA CCRIS 2052 EINECS 203-550-1 EPA pesticide chemical code 044105 Ethyl isobutyl ketone FEMA No. 2731 Elexanone Elex-one Isobutyl methyl ketone Isohexanone Isopropylacetone Methyl isobutyl ketone 2-Methyl-4-pentanone MIBK MIK NSC 5712 RCRA waste number U161 Shell MIBK UN 1245. 

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