Walker process

Ehman, Phillip J., and Walter O. Walker. "Process for Preparing Phosgene Oxime." US Patent 2,299,742, October 27,1942. 

T0864 Walker Process Equipment, EnviroDisc Rotating Biological Contactors T0872 Water and Slurry Purification Process (WASPP) Corporation, Alternating Current Electrolysis... 

FIGURE 5.5 Elevation section of a circular radial clarifier. (Courtesy of Walker Process.)... 

Walker process. The first successful industrial facility for the oxidation of hydrocarbon gases is apparently that based on the process developed by the Cities Service Oil Co Company in Tallant (Oklahoma), also known as the Walker process. The process was discovered by accident, as a result of studying the oxidation of natural gas as a probable cause of pipeline corrosion because of the formation of carboxylic acids. Partially stripped natural gas was used, into which air compressed to 21 atm was injected. The process was conducted over an aluminium phosphate catalyst without recycling at low conversion, pressure of 21 atm, and temperature of 425 °C. C e of the subsequent patents describes the oxidation of natural gas to a mixture of methanol, formaldehyde, and acetaldehyde over a mixed catalyst composed of aluminium phosphate and metal oxides. The exhaust gas was discharged into the gas supply system for sale. The main products were methanol and formaldehyde [93,260,264]. 

TABLE 11.3 Yield of the Products of Butane Oxidation in the Walker Process at the Plant in Oklahoma City [260]... 

H. J. Neubetg, J. E. Atheriey, and L. G. Walker, Girdler-Sulfde Process Physical Properties, Atomic Energy of Canada Report AECL-5702, Chalk Rivet Nuclear Laboratories, Chalk Rivet, Ontario, Canada, 1977. 

Faraday, in 1834, was the first to encounter Kolbe-electrolysis, when he studied the electrolysis of an aqueous acetate solution [1], However, it was Kolbe, in 1849, who recognized the reaction and applied it to the synthesis of a number of hydrocarbons [2]. Thereby the name of the reaction originated. Later on Wurtz demonstrated that unsymmetrical coupling products could be prepared by coelectrolysis of two different alkanoates [3]. Difficulties in the coupling of dicarboxylic acids were overcome by Crum-Brown and Walker, when they electrolysed the half esters of the diacids instead [4]. This way a simple route to useful long chain l,n-dicarboxylic acids was developed. In some cases the Kolbe dimerization failed and alkenes, alcohols or esters became the main products. The formation of alcohols by anodic oxidation of carboxylates in water was called the Hofer-Moest reaction [5]. Further applications and limitations were afterwards foimd by Fichter [6]. Weedon extensively applied the Kolbe reaction to the synthesis of rare fatty acids and similar natural products [7]. Later on key features of the mechanism were worked out by Eberson [8] and Utley [9] from the point of view of organic chemists and by Conway [10] from the point of view of a physical chemist. In Germany [11], Russia [12], and Japan [13] Kolbe electrolysis of adipic halfesters has been scaled up to a technical process. 

Wallace J.G., Single phase melt processible rubber. Handbook of Thermoplastic Elastomer (Walker B.M. and Rader C.P., eds.). Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 1988, 141. 

Walker, Julia M. John Donne s The Extasie as an alchemical process. Engl Lang Notes 20, no. 1 (Sep 1982) 1-8. 

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