Toray Industries

In 1987, Toray Industries, Inc., announced the development of a new process for making aromatic nitriles which reportedly halved the production cost, reduced waste treatment requirements, and reduced production time by more than two-thirds, compared with the vapor-phase process used by most producers. The process iavolves the reaction of ben2oic acid (or substituted ben2oic acid) with urea at 220—240°C ia the presence of a metallic catalyst (78). 

The Aromax process was developed in the early 1970s by Toray Industries, Inc. in Japan (95—98). The adsorption column consists of a horizontal series of independent chambers containing fixed beds of adsorbent. Instead of a rotary valve, a sequence of specially designed on—off valves under computer control is used to move inlet and withdrawal ports around the bed. Adsorption is carried out in the Hquid phase at 140°C, 785—980 kPA, and 5—13 L/h. PX yields per pass is reported to exceed 90% with a typical purity of 99.5%. The first Aromax unit was installed at Toray s Kawasaki plant in March 1973. In 1994, IFP introduced the Eluxyl adsorption process (59,99). The proprietary adsorbent used is designated SPX 3000. Individual on-off valves controlled by a microprocessor are used. Raman spectroscopy to used to measure concentration profiles in the column. A 10,000 t/yr demonstration plant was started and successfully operated at Chevron s Pascagoula plant from 1995—96. IFP has Hcensed two hybrid units. 

The Isolene II process was commercialized in 1971 by Toray Industries (120—122). The catalyst is Pt on an acidic support. Operating conditions ate reported to be 250—500°C and 1—3 MPa. The first Isolene II plant was built at Toray s Kawasaki complex. 

Such a concept was originally used in a process developed and Hcensed by UOP under the name UOP Sorbex (59,60). Other versions of the SMB system are also used commercially (61). Toray Industries built the Aromax process for the production of -xylene (20,62,63). Illinois Water Treatment and Mitsubishi have commercialized SMB processes for the separation of fmctose from dextrose (64—66). The foUowing discussion is based on the UOP Sorbex process. 

Significant improvement in the fiber stmctuie of leather is finally achieved by using microfibers as fine as 0.001—0.0001 tex (0.01—0.001 den). With this microfiber, a man-made grain leather Sofrina (Kuraray Co., Ltd.) with a thin surface layer (Fig. 7), and a man-made suede Suedemark (Kuraray Co., Ltd.) with a fine nap (Fig. 8) were first developed for clothing, and have expanded their uses. Ultrasuede (Toray Industries, Inc.) also uses microfibers with a rather thick fineness of 0.01 tex (0.1 den). Contemporary (1995) man-made leathers employ microfibers of not mote than 0.03 tex (0.3 den) to obtain excellent properties and appearance resembling leather. 

Acetaldehyde can be used as an oxidation-promoter in place of bromine. The absence of bromine means that titanium metallurgy is not required. Eastman Chemical Co. has used such a process, with cobalt as the only catalyst metal. In that process, acetaldehyde is converted to acetic acid at the rate of 0.55—1.1 kg/kg of terephthahc acid produced. The acetic acid is recycled as the solvent and can be isolated as a by-product. Reaction temperatures can be low, 120—140°C, and residence times tend to be high, with values of two hours or more (55). Recovery of dry terephthahc acid follows steps similar to those in the Amoco process. Eastman has abandoned this process in favor of a bromine promoter (56). Another oxidation promoter which has been used is paraldehyde (57), employed by Toray Industries. This leads to the coproduction of acetic acid. 2-Butanone has been used by Mobil Chemical Co. (58). 

The Tatoray process, which was developed by Toray Industries, Inc., and is available for Hcense through UOP, can be appHed to the production of xylenes and benzene from feedstock that consists typically of toluene [108-88-3] either alone or blended with aromatics (particularly trimethylbenzenes and ethyl-toluenes). The main reactions are transalkylation (or disproportionation) of toluene to xylene and benzene or of toluene and trimethylbenzenes to xylenes in the vapor phase over a highly selective fixed-bed catalyst in a hydrogen atmosphere at 350—500°C and 1—5 MPa (10—50 atm). Ethyl groups are... 

Jptt Kokai Tokkyo Koho 57 158,240 (Sept. 30, 1982) (Toray Industries). 

Jptt Kokai Tokkyo Koho 58 164,617 (Sept. 29, 1983) (to Toray Industries, Inc.). 

M. Yamada, H. Tsutsui, and K. Shimoto, Proc. Ann. Mtg. Japan Society of Bioscience Biotechnology and Agrochemistry 1990, p. 680 Jpn. Kokai 1148,194 (June 9, 1989), M. Shirai and co-workers (to Toray Industrial Company). 

Kokai 53 135,931 (Nov. 28, 1978), K. Ueda, R. Takigawa, andM. Saito (to Toray Industrial Company) semi-commercial sample is available from Kyoaw Hakko Kogyo Company. 

RO membrane modules are available from many manufacturers including, for hoUow-fiber modules, DuPont and Dow/FUmTec Corporation, and for spinal-wound modules, UOP Inc., Millipore Corporation, Nitto-Denko America, Inc., Toray Industries Inc., Dow/FUmTec Corporation, and DuPont. 

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