Catalyst of activated copper-zinc alloy and its use in hydrating acrylonitrile
AssigneeNalco Chemical Company
InventorsLouis A. Goretta, Frederick J. Sibert
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A particulate alloy of 30% copper and 70% zinc is activated with alkali metal hydroxide to produce a catalyst which is useful for the catalytic hydrolysis of acrylonitrile to acrylamide under liquid phase conditions.
Claims37
A process for preparing a catalyst suitable for catalytically hydrolyzing acrylonitrile to acrylamide comprising contacting aqueous alkali metal hydroxide with an alloy comprised on a 100 weight percent total alloy weight basis of about 30 weight percent copper and about 70 weight percent zinc which is in the form of particles having a size ranging from about 0.0005 to 0.5 inches in average diameter for a time sufficient to remove from said alloy at least about 50 weight percent of the zinc initially present therein thereby to produce such catalyst.
A process for preparing a catalyst suitable for catalytically hydrolyzing acrylonitrile to acrylamide comprising the steps of:
- (A) suspending in water with agitation in a reaction zone an alloy comprising on a 100 weight percent total alloy basis about 30 weight percent copper and about 70 weight percent zinc, said alloy being in the form particles having a size ranging from about 0.0005 to 0.03 inch in average diameter to produce an initial weight ratio of said alloy particles to said water in the range from about 0.01 to 0.35,
- (B) adding alkali metal hydroxide to such so suspended alloy particles while maintaining the bulk temperature of said water in the range from about 15.degree. C. to reflux, thereby to contact said particles with said alkali metal hydroxide under liquid phase conditions, the total quantity of alkali metal hydroxide so added to such suspension ranging from about 1.0 to 4.0 times the number of moles of zinc initially present in said alloy, the time of such adding ranging from about 10 to 200 hours and the total time of such contacting ranging from about 10 to 200 hours, the interrelationship between said temperature and said total contacting time being such that at least about 50 weight percent of the zinc initially present in said alloy is removed therefrom on a 100 weight percent total alloy basis,
- (C) terminating said agitation in said reaction zone, and separating said water with said alkali metal hydroxide contained therein from said product particles, and
- (D) washing with water said catalyst particles until a wash water pH not above about 8.0 is achieved.
A process for catalytically hydrolyzing acrylonitrile to acrylamide comprising reacting under liquid phase conditions an aqueous mixture of acrylonitrile and water with a copper catalyst at a temperature of from about 65.degree. to 150.degree. C., said copper catalyst having been produced by contacting an alloy comprised on a 100 weight percent basis of about 30 weight percent copper and about 70 weight percent zinc which is in the form of particles having a size ranging from about 0.0005 to 0.5 inches in average diameter with aqueous alkali metal hydroxide for a time sufficient to remove from said alloy at least about 50 weight percent of the zinc initially present therein .
In a process wherein acrylonitrile is hydrolyzed in the presence of a copper catalyst, the improvement which comprises using as said catalyst a particulate copper catalyst which has been prepared by contacting alloy particles comprised on a 100 weight percent total basis of about 30 weight percent copper and about 70 weight percent zinc, with aqueous alkali metal hydroxide.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.