Methyl-Substituted Biphenyl Compounds, Their Production and Their Use in the Manufacture of Plasticizers
AssigneeExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
InventorsJihad M. Dakka, Lorenzo C. DeCaul
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Abstract
In a process for producing methyl-substituted biphenyl compounds, a feed comprising at least one aromatic hydrocarbon selected from the group consisting of toluene, xylene and mixtures thereof is contacted 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. At least part of the hydroalkylation reaction product is then dehydrogenated in the presence of a dehydrogenation catalyst under conditions effective to produce a dehydrogenation reaction product comprising a mixture of methyl-substituted biphenyl compounds.
Claims25
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.
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;
- (c) contacting at least part of the dehydrogenation reaction product with an oxidant 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.
A process for producing (methylcyclohexyl)toluene, the process comprising:
- (a) contacting a feed comprising toluene with hydrogen in the presence of a hydroalkylation catalyst under conditions effective to produce a hydroalkylation reaction product comprising (methylcyclohexyl)toluene, wherein the hydroalkylation catalyst comprises a molecular sieve of the MCM-22 family and a hydrogenation metal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.