Method for recycling catalyst in the production of chlorinated alkanes
AssigneeBlue Cube IP LLC
InventorJohn D. Myers
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention provides highly efficient processes for the preparation of chlorinated alkanes. The processes comprise contacting an alkene, halogenated alkene, or combinations thereof, a halogenated methane comprising at least one chlorine atom, at least one solid metallic catalyst, and a ligand forming a reaction mixture in a reactor. The product mixture does not contain a phase transfer catalyst. After a product mixture is formed, various fractions, distillation streams, and effluent streams are separated and/or treated with an aqueous alkaline substance. This treatment removes at least a portion of the metal and through recycling of the heavy fraction, treated product mixture, or combinations thereof, allows for the kinetics of the process to be maintained or increased.
Claims31
A process for producing a chlorinated alkane, the process comprising:
- (a) contacting at least one alkene, chlorinated alkene, or combinations thereof, a halogenated methane comprising at least one chlorine atom, at least one solid metallic catalyst, and at least one ligand to form a reaction mixture in a reactor;
- (b) forming a product mixture comprising a chlorinated alkane, light by-products, heavy by-products, soluble metal ions, complexes of metal ions with the at least one ligand, or combinations thereof;
- (c) optionally distilling at least a portion of the product mixture to form a light fraction and a distilled product mixture comprising the heavy by-products, soluble metal ions and complexes of metal ions with the at least one ligand;
- (d) treating at least a portion of the product mixture from step (b) and/or the distilled product mixture from step (c) with an alkaline substance in the absence of a phase transfer catalyst, to form a treated product mixture and/or treated distilled product mixture;
- wherein the alkaline substance is insoluble in the treated product mixture or the treated distilled product mixture;
- wherein the alkaline substance reacts with at least some of the metal ions that are present and forms a metal hydroxide;
- and wherein the treated product mixture and/or the treated distilled product mixture contains fewer metal ions and/or complexes of metal ions with the at least one ligand than the product mixture from step (b);
- and
- (e) separating the metal hydroxide from the treated product mixture and/or the treated distilled product mixture to form a treated product effluent stream and/or a treated distilled effluent stream.
A process for producing 1,1,1,3-tetrachloropropane, 1,1,1,3,3-pentachloropropane or 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexachloropropane comprising:
- a) contacting ethylene, vinyl chloride or 1,1-dichloroethylene, respectively, with carbon tetrachloride, at least one solid metallic catalyst, and a ligand to form a reaction mixture, in a reactor;
- b) forming a product mixture comprising light by-products, heavy by-products and soluble metal ions, complexes of metal ions with the ligand, or combinations thereof, and at least one of 1,1,1,3-tetrachloropropane, 1,1,1,3,3-pentachloropropane or 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexachloropropane;
- c) optionally distilling at least a portion of the product mixture forming a heavy fraction and a light fraction, the light fraction comprising light by-products and at least one of 1,1,1,3-tetrachloropropane, 1,1,1,3,3-pentachloropropane or 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexachloropropane;
- d) treating at least a portion of the product mixture from step (b) or a heavy fraction from distillation from step (c) with an alkaline substance in the absence of a phase transfer catalyst, to form a treated product mixture or treated heavy fraction stream;
- wherein the alkaline substance is insoluble in the treated product mixture or the treated heavy fraction stream;
- wherein the alkaline substance reacts with at least some of the metal ions and forms a metal hydroxide;
- and wherein the treated product mixture or the treated heavy fraction stream contains fewer metal ions than the product mixture;
- e) separating the metal hydroxide from the treated product mixture or the heavy fraction to form a treated product effluent stream or the treated heavy fraction stream;
- and
- f) optionally distilling the treated product effluent stream from step (e) and thereby forming at least a light effluent stream and a heavy effluent stream;
- and
- g) recycling a portion of the light fraction from step (c), treated product effluent stream from step (e), the treated heavy fraction stream from step (e), the light effluent stream from step (f), heavy effluent stream from step (f), or combinations thereof to the reactor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.