Loading patent…
AssigneeSaudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC)
InventorsAndrew T. Au, Jean-Pierre Lawanier, David Adam Flosser
Estimating the term…
A process for the conversion of aldehydes to esters, specifically acrolein or methacrolein to methyl acrylate or methyl methacrylate, respectively. Essentially in the absence of water, an aldehyde is contacted with an oxidizing agent to form an intermediate and then the intermediate is contacted with a diol or an alcohol to form an ester or diester. Preferably, the oxidizing agent is also a chlorinating agent. Specifically, acrolein or methacrolein is contacted with an oxidizing/chlorinating agent, such as t-butyl hypochlorite, and the chlorinated compound is contacted with an alcohol, such as methanol, to form methyl acrylate or methyl methacrylate, respectively. Generally, the order of addition is for the oxidizing agent to be added to the aldehyde, specifically for t-butyl hypochlorite to be added to acrolein or methacrolein, and for the diol or alcohol to be added to the intermediate, specifically for the methanol to be added to the reaction product of acrolein or methacrolein and t-butyl hypochlorite. The process of the present invention can be carried out in the absence or in the presence of solvent. Generally, better methyl acrylate or methyl methacrylate yields are obtained at lower reaction temperatures.
A process for producing esters from aldehydes comprising reacting essentially in the absence of water an aldehyde having the general formula of RCHO, R being an alkenyl group or alkyl group having one to six carbon atoms, with an oxidizing agent having the general formula R′3COX, wherein R′ is an alkyl group having one to six carbon atom bonded to a tertiary carbon atom, each R′ being the same or different, and wherein X is a halogen, to form an intermediate which is reacted with an alcohol having the general formula of R″OH wherein R″ is an alkyl group or an alkoxy group having one to eight carbon atoms or is an aryl group having six to ten carbon atoms or with a diol having the general formula HOR′″OH wherein R′″ is an alkyl group having one to eight carbon atoms or is an aryl group having six to ten carbon atoms to form an ester having the general formula RCOOR″ or RCOOR′″ or a diester having the general formula RCOOR′″OOCR.
A process for producing an ester from an aldehyde comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.