# US 4,394,369 A · Hydrogen peroxide process

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- Number: US 4,394,369 A
- Document ID: US4394369A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 06/381,592
- Filed: 1982-05-24
- Granted: 1983-07-19
- Earliest claimed: 1982-05-24
- Assignees: FMC Corporation
- Inventors: Wayne Ranbom
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4394369A

## CPC

- C01B 15/023: by the alkyl-anthraquinone process
- C01B: NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; {METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C}

## Abstract

An anthraquinone autoxidation process has been developed for producing hydrogen peroxide employing N-substituted-2-pyrrolidones as solvents for the anthrahydroquinone formed in the reduction step. These new solvents have improved solubility characteristics over prior solvents. Particular N-substitutents are alkyl and alkaryl groups containing 6 to 12 carbon atoms.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An improved process for producing hydrogen peroxide by the alternate reduction and oxidation of a substituted anthraquinone and its tetrahydro derivative as the working compound, dissolved in a solvent to constitute a liquid working solution wherein the improvement resides in using a solvent comprising an N-substituted-2-pyrrolidone wherein the substituted moiety is a hydrocarbon containing 6 to 12 carbon atoms.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein the N-substituted-2-pyrrolidone is an N-alkyl-2-pyrrolidone in which alkyl group of the N-alkyl-2-pyrrolidone contains 6 to 12 carbon atoms.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The process of claim 2 wherein the N-alkyl-2-pyrrolidone is N-cyclohexyl-2-pyrrolidone.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The process of claim 2 wherein the N-alkyl-2-pyrrolidone is N-1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl-2-pyrrolidone.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The process of claim 2 wherein the N-alkyl-2-pyrrolidone is n-octyl-2-pyrrolidone.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The process of claim 2 wherein the N-alkyl-2-pyrrolidone is n-decyl-2-pyrrolidone.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

The process of claim 2 wherein the N-alkyl-2-pyrrolidone is n-dodecyl-2-pyrrolidone.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)

The process of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 wherein the working solution contains 10 percent to 30 percent working compound, 10 percent to 30 percent of the N-alkyl-2-pyrrolidone and 50 percent to 61 percent of an aromatic hydrocarbon solvent for the substituted anthraquinone.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The process of claim 8 wherein the substituted anthraquinone is selected from the group consisting of 2-ethylanthraquinone, 2-t-butylanthraquinone and 2-amylanthraquinone.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)

The process of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 wherein the working solution contains 16 percent to 30 percent working compound, 10 percent to 20 percent of the N-alkyl-2-pyrrolidone, 10 percent to 20 percent tris(2-ethylhexyl)phosphate, and 50 percent to 61 percent of an aromatic hydrocarbon solvent for the substituted anthraquinone.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The process of claim 10 wherein the substituted anthraquinone is selected from the group consisting of 2-ethylanthraquinone, 2-t-butylanthraquinone and 2-amylanthraquinone.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein the N-substituted-2-pyrrolidone is an N-alkaryl-2-pyrrolidone in which the alkaryl group contains 6 to 12 carbon atoms.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The process of claim 12 wherein the N-substituted-2-pyrrolidone is N-benzyl-2-pyrrolidone.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The process of claim 12 wherein the N-substituted-2-pyrrolidone is N-2-phenylethyl-2-pyrrolidone.