Methyl-Substituted Biphenyl Compounds, Their Production and Their Use in the Manufacture of Plasticizers
AssigneeExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
InventorsChuansheng Bai, Jihad M. Dakka, Lorenzo C. DeCaul
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Abstract
In a process for producing a methyl-substituted biphenyl compound, at least one methyl-substituted cyclohexylbenzene compound of the formula: is contacted with a dehydrogenation catalyst under conditions effective to produce a dehydrogenation reaction product comprising at least one methyl-substituted biphenyl compound, wherein each of m and n is independently an integer from 1 to 3 and wherein the dehydrogenation catalyst comprises (i) an element or compound thereof from Group 10 of the Periodic Table of Elements and (ii) tin or a compound thereof.
Claims25
A process for producing a methyl-substituted biphenyl compound, the process comprising:
- (a) contacting at least one methyl-substituted cyclohexylbenzene compound of the formula:
- with a dehydrogenation catalyst under conditions effective to produce a dehydrogenation reaction product comprising at least one methyl-substituted biphenyl compound wherein each of m and n is independently an integer from 1 to 3 and wherein the dehydrogenation catalyst comprises (i) an element or compound thereof from Group 10 of the Periodic Table of Elements and (ii) tin or a compound thereof.
A process for producing methyl-substituted biphenyl compounds, the process comprising:
- (a) contacting a feed comprising at least one aromatic hydrocarbon selected from the group consisting of toluene, xylene and mixtures thereof with hydrogen in the presence of a hydroalkylation catalyst under conditions effective to produce a hydroalkylation reaction product comprising (methylcyclohexyl)toluenes and/or (dimethylcyclohexyl)xylenes;
- and
- (b) dehydrogenating at least part of the hydroalkylation reaction product in the presence of a dehydrogenation catalyst under conditions effective to produce a dehydrogenation reaction product comprising a mixture of methyl-substituted biphenyl compounds, wherein the dehydrogenation catalyst comprises (i) an element or compound thereof from Group 10 of the Periodic Table of Elements and (ii) tin or a compound thereof.
A process for producing biphenyl esters, the process comprising:
- (a) contacting a feed comprising at least one aromatic hydrocarbon selected from the group consisting of toluene, xylene and mixtures thereof with hydrogen in the presence of a hydroalkylation catalyst under conditions effective to produce a hydroalkylation reaction product comprising (methylcyclohexyl)toluenes and/or (dimethylcyclohexyl)xylenes;
- (b) dehydrogenating at least part of the hydroalkylation reaction product in the presence of a dehydrogenation catalyst under conditions effective to produce a dehydrogenation reaction product comprising a mixture of methyl-substituted biphenyl compounds, wherein the dehydrogenation catalyst comprises (i) an element or compound thereof from Group 10 of the Periodic Table of Elements and (ii) tin or a compound thereof;
- (c) contacting at least part of the dehydrogenation reaction product with an oxygen source under conditions effective to convert at least part of the methyl-substituted biphenyl compounds to biphenyl carboxylic acids;
- and
- (d) reacting the biphenyl carboxylic acids with one or more C4 to C14 alcohols under conditions effective to produce biphenyl esters.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.