Sodium sulfuric acid process

Processes for Triacetate. There are both batch and continuous process for triacetate. Many of the considerations and support faciUties for producing acetate apply to triacetate however, no acetyl hydrolysis is required. In the batch triacetate sulfuric acid process, however, a sulfate hydrolysis step (or desulfonation) is necessary. This is carried out by slow addition of a dilute aqueous acetic acid solution containing sodium or magnesium acetate (44,45) or triethanolamine (46) to neutrali2e the Hberated sulfuric acid. The cellulose triacetate product has a combined acetic acid content of 61.5%. 

The sodium dichromate-sulfuric acid process has been found by some to be superior to other ferric chloride methods for the prebond treatment of copper. This dichromate-sulfuric acid method is also defined by ASTM D 2651. Nitric acid and ferric chloride etching processes have also been found to be useful for copper, brass, and bronze substrates in certain applications. 

Other absorption processes using soluble bases, such as sodium, or adaptations of the contact sulfuric acid process (29, 30) are potentially available for treating dilute smelter gases. However, there is no reason to expect that any of them should be appreciably, if at all, less expensive than the ammonia-base processes. 

Historically, soda ash was produced by extracting the ashes of certain plants, such as Spanish barilla, and evaporating the resultant Hquor. The first large scale, commercial synthetic plant employed the LeBlanc (Nicolas LeBlanc (1742—1806)) process (5). In this process, salt (NaCl) reacts with sulfuric acid to produce sodium sulfate and hydrochloric acid. The sodium sulfate is then roasted with limestone and coal and the resulting sodium carbonate—calcium sulfide mixture (black ash) is leached with water to extract the sodium carbonate. The LeBlanc process was last used in 1916—1917 it was expensive and caused significant pollution. 

Neste patented an industrial route to a cellulose carbamate pulp (90) which was stable enough to be shipped into rayon plants for dissolution as if it were xanthate. The carbamate solution could be spun into sulfuric acid or sodium carbonate solutions, to give fibers which when completely regenerated had similar properties to viscose rayon. When incompletely regenerated they were sufficientiy self-bonding for use in papermaking. The process was said to be cheaper than the viscose route and to have a lower environmental impact (91). It has not been commercialized, so no confirmation of its potential is yet available. 

The reaction of formate salts with mineral acids such as sulfuric acid is the oldest iadustrial process for the production of formic acid, and it stiU has importance ia the 1990s. Sodium formate [141-53-7] and calcium formate [544-17-2] are available iadustriaHy from the production of pentaerythritol and other polyhydric alcohols and of disodium dithionite (23). The acidolysis is technically straightforward, but the unavoidable production of sodium sulfate is a clear disadvantage of this route. 

The typical SEA process uses a manganese catalyst with a potassium promoter (for solubilization) in a batch reactor. A manganese catalyst increases the relative rate of attack on carbonyl intermediates. Low conversions are followed by recovery and recycle of complex intermediate streams. Acid recovery and purification involve extraction with caustic and heat treatment to further decrease small amounts of impurities (particularly carbonyls). The fatty acids are recovered by freeing with sulfuric acid and, hence, sodium sulfate is a by-product. 

Alkali Fusion of /u-Benzenedisulfonic Acid. Even though this process like the previous one is a very ancient one, it is still the main route for the synthesis of resorcinol. It has been described in detail previously and does not seem to have drastically evolved since 1980. It involves the reaction of benzene with sulfuric acid to form y -benzenedisulfonic acid which is then converted to its disulfonate sodium salt by treatment with sodium sulfite. In a second step, this salt is heated to 350°C in the presence of sodium hydroxide yielding the sodium resorcinate and sodium sulfite. 

After sulfuric acid work-up (accompanied by the formation of sodium sulfate), the resorcinol is extracted and isolated in a 94% yield based on y -benzenedisulfonic acid [98-48-6]. In addition to the technical complexity that goes along with the manipulation of soHds at high temperature, this process produces large amounts of salts (sulfite and sulfate salts) which economically as well as environmentally are not always desired. 

Seaweeds. The eadiest successful manufacture of iodine started in 1817 using certain varieties of seaweeds. The seaweed was dried, burned, and the ash lixiviated to obtain iodine and potassium and sodium salts. The first process used was known as the kelp, or native, process. The name kelp, initially apphed to the ash of the seaweed, has been extended to include the seaweed itself. About 20 t of fresh seaweed was used to produce 5 t of air-dried product containing a mean of 0.38 wt % iodine in the form of iodides of alkah metals. The ash obtained after burning the dried seaweed contains about 1.5 wt % iodine. Chemical separation of the iodine was performed by lixiviation of the burned kelp, followed by soHd-Hquid separation and water evaporation. After separating sodium and potassium chloride, and sodium carbonate, the mother Hquor containing iodine as iodide was treated with sulfuric acid and manganese dioxide to oxidize the iodide to free iodine, which was sublimed and condensed in earthenware pipes (57). 

In the three-step process acetone first undergoes a Uquid-phase alkah-cataly2ed condensation to form diacetone alcohol. Many alkaU metal oxides, metal hydroxides (eg, sodium, barium, potassium, magnesium, and lanthanium), and anion-exchange resins are described in the Uterature as suitable catalysts. The selectivity to diacetone alcohol is typicaUy 90—95 wt % (64). In the second step diacetone alcohol is dehydrated to mesityl oxide over an acid catalyst such as phosphoric or sulfuric acid. The reaction takes place at 95—130°C and selectivity to mesityl oxide is 80—85 wt % (64). A one-step conversion of acetone to mesityl oxide is also possible. 

Opa.nte. There are two methods used at various plants in Russia for loparite concentrate processing (12). The chlorination technique is carried out using gaseous chlorine at 800°C in the presence of carbon. The volatile chlorides are then separated from the calcium—sodium—rare-earth fused chloride, and the resultant cake dissolved in water. Alternatively, sulfuric acid digestion may be carried out using 85% sulfuric acid at 150—200°C in the presence of ammonium sulfate. The ensuing product is leached with water, while the double sulfates of the rare earths remain in the residue. The titanium, tantalum, and niobium sulfates transfer into the solution. The residue is converted to rare-earth carbonate, and then dissolved into nitric acid. 

The products of reaction are pumped to a filter press for separation into a sodium sulfate solution and a filter cake having a low moisture content. The filter cake is then ready to be processed for the recovery of lead. The filtrate from the process contains an excess of sodium carbonate, and can be neutralized using the sulfuric acid drained from the batteries. 

The chemical oil contains ca 50 wt % naphthalene, 6 wt % tar acids, 3 wt % tar bases, and numerous other aromatic compounds. The chemical oil is processed to remove the tar acids by contacting with dilute sodium hydroxide and, in a few cases, is next treated to remove tar bases by washing with sulfuric acid. 

Naphthalenesulfonic Acid. The sulfonation of naphthalene with excess 96 wt % sulfuric acid at < 80°C gives > 85 wt % 1-naphthalenesulfonic acid (a-acid) the balance is mainly the 2-isomer (P-acid). An older German commercial process is based on the reaction of naphthalene with 96 wt % sulfuric acid at 20—50°C (13). The product can be used unpurifted to make dyestuff intermediates by nitration or can be sulfonated further. The sodium salt of 1-naphthalenesulfonic acid is required, for example, for the conversion of 1-naphthalenol (1-naphthol) by caustic fusion. In this case, the excess sulfuric acid first is separated by the addition of lime and is filtered to remove the insoluble calcium sulfate the filtrate is treated with sodium carbonate to precipitate calcium carbonate and leave the sodium l-naphthalenesulfonate/7J(9-/4-J7 in solution. The dry salt then is recovered, typically, by spray-drying the solution. 

H-acid, l-hydroxy-3,6,8-ttisulfonic acid, which is one of the most important letter acids, is prepared as naphthalene is sulfonated with sulfuric acid to ttisulfonic acid. The product is then nitrated and neutralized with lime to produce the calcium salt of l-nitronaphthalene-3,6,8-ttisulfonic acid, which is then reduced to T-acid (Koch acid) with Fe and HCl modem processes use continuous catalytical hydrogenation with Ni catalyst. Hydrogenation has been performed in aqueous medium in the presence of Raney nickel or Raney Ni—Fe catalyst with a low catalyst consumption and better yield (51). Fusion of the T-acid with sodium hydroxide and neutralization with sulfuric acid yields H-acid. Azo dyes such as Direct Blue 15 [2429-74-5] (17) and Acid... 

Sulfation and Sulfonation. a-Olefin reactions involving the introduction of sulfur-containing functional groups have commercial importance. As with many derivatives of olefins, several of these products have appHcations in the area of surfactants (qv) and detergents. Typical sulfur reagents utilized in these processes include sulfuric acid, oleum, chlorosulfonic acid, sulfur trioxide, and sodium bisulfite. 

Benzene SuIfona.tion. In the benzene sulfonation process, benzene reacts with concentrated sulfuric acid to form benzenesulfonic acid at about 150°C. The benzenesulfonic acid is neutralized with sodium sulfate to produce sodium benzenesulfonate, which is then fused with caustic soda to yield sodium phenate. The sodium phenate is acidified with sulfur dioxide and a small amount of sulfuric acid to release the phenol from the sodium salt. The phenol yield by this process can be as high as 88 mol % to that of the theoretical value based on benzene. Plants employing this technology have been shut down for environmental and economic reasons. 

Sodium Bisulfite. Sodium bisulfite [7631-90-5] NaHSO, is occasionally used to perform simultaneous reduction of a nitro group to an amine and the addition of a sulfonic acid group. For example, 4-amino-3-hydroxyl-l-naphthalenesulfonic acid [116-63-2] C qH NO S, is manufactured from 2-naphthol in a process which uses sodium bisulfite (59). The process involves nitrosation of 2-naphthol in aqueous medium, followed by addition of sodium bisulfite and acidification with sulfuric acid. 

After epoxidation, propylene oxide, excess propylene, and propane are distilled overhead. Propane is purged from the process propylene is recycled to the epoxidation reactor. The bottoms Hquid is treated with a base, such as sodium hydroxide, to neutralize the acids. Acids in this stream cause dehydration of the 1-phenylethanol to styrene. The styrene readily polymerizes under these conditions (177—179). Neutralization, along with water washing, allows phase separation such that the salts and molybdenum catalyst remain in the aqueous phase (179). Dissolved organics in the aqueous phase ate further recovered by treatment with sulfuric acid and phase separation. The organic phase is then distilled to recover 1-phenylethanol overhead. The heavy bottoms are burned for fuel (180,181). 

Various processes involve acetic acid or hydrocarbons as solvents for either acetylation or washing. Normal operation involves the recovery or recycle of acetic acid, any solvent, and the mother Hquor. Other methods of preparing aspirin, which are not of commercial significance, involve acetyl chloride and saHcyHc acid, saHcyHc acid and acetic anhydride with sulfuric acid as the catalyst, reaction of saHcyHc acid and ketene, and the reaction of sodium saHcylate with acetyl chloride or acetic anhydride. 

The Mannheim process produces sodium sulfate by reaction of sodium chloride and sulfuric acid. 

Passing a stream of nitrogen at 95—100°C through a reaction mixture of ethyl ether and 30 wt % oleum prepared at 15°C results in the entrainment of diethyl sulfate. Continuous operation provides a >50% yield (96). The most economical process for the manufacture of diethyl sulfate starts with ethylene and 96 wt % sulfuric acid heated at 60°C. The resulting mixture of 43 wt % diethyl sulfate, 45 wt % ethyl hydrogen sulfate, and 12 wt % sulfuric acid is heated with anhydrous sodium sulfate under vacuum, and diethyl sulfate is obtained in 86% yield the commercial product is >99% pure (97). 

The principal constituents of rosin (qv) are abietic and related acids. Tall oil (qv) is a mixture of unsaturated fatty and aHcycHc acids of the abietic family. Refined tall oil may be high in rosin acids or unsaturated acids, depending on the refining process. Ethoxylates of rosin acids, eg, dehydro abietic acid, are similar to fatty acid ethoxylates in surfactant properties and manufacture, except for thek stabiHty to hydrolysis. No noticeable decomposition is observed when a rosin ester of this type is boiled for 15 min in 10% sulfuric acid or 25% sodium hydroxide (90). Steric hindrance of the carboxylate group associated with the aHcycHc moiety has been suggested as the cause of this unexpectedly great hydrolytic stabiHty. 

Alternatively, if teUurium dioxide is the product desired, the sodium teUurite solution can be neutralized in a controUed fashion with sulfuric acid. As the pH is lowered, precipitates containing impurities such as lead and sUica that form ate filtered off. At pH 5.6 the solubUity of teUurous acid teaches a minimum and essentiaUy aU of the teUurium precipitates (>98%). After filtration and drying, commercial teUurium dioxide is obtained. A diagram for the process of deteUurizing of slimes and recovering teUurium products is shown in Figure 1. 

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