Process for the continuous production of monocarboxylic acids
AssigneeRWE-DEA Aktiengesellschaft fur Mineraloel und Chemie
InventorsAlbert Thomas Herrmann, Arnold Meyer, Erich Scherf, Clemens Schroder, Ansgar Reichenauer, Ernst Tonsen
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Abstract
A process for the continuous production of monocarboxylic acids from the corresponding alcohols by alkali fusion wherein the oxidation is continuously accomplished in an extrusion reactor without addition of diluents and the alkali salts of the monocarboxylic acids are discharged from the reactor as a solid product and are directly neutralised with mineral acids. High-purity monocarboxylic acids are obtained after phase separation.
Claims17
A continuous process for producing linear or branched, saturated monocarboxylic acids having from 6 to 48 carbon atoms, which comprises:
- (A) converting linear or branched, primary alcohols into alkali salts of the corresponding monocarboxylic acids in the presence of an alkali hydroxide at elevated temperatures comprising:
- (a) continuously reacting a feedstock consisting essentially of the alkali hydroxide and the alcohols in an extrusion reactor by mixing the feedstock and transporting the materials from the inlet to the outlet,
- where the alkali hydroxide is a 50 to 86% aqueous alkali hydroxide, and
- where the alkali hydroxide is present in a molar excess up to 40%, relative to the alcohol quantity;
- and
- (b) maintaining high concentration of the feedstock by a method selected from the group consisting of:
- (i) feeding the feedstock in high concentration, and
- (ii) removing hydrogen and any diluent from the feedstock and the extrusion reactor;
- such that the alkali salts of the corresponding monocarboxylic acids are discharged from the extrusion reactor as pasty materials;
- (B) liberating the linear or branched, saturated monocarboxylic acids from the alkali salts by neutralisation.
A continuous process for producing linear or branched, saturated monocarboxylic acids having from 6 to 48 carbon atoms, which comprises:
- (A) converting linear or branched, primary alcohols into alkali salts of the corresponding monocarboxylic acids in the presence of an alkali hydroxide selected from the group consisting of NaOH and KOH, at elevated temperatures no higher than 320.degree. C., and at an excess pressure of up to 30 bar, comprising:
- (a) continuously reacting a feedstock consisting essentially of the alkali hydroxide and the alcohols in an extrusion reactor by mixing the feedstock and transporting the materials from the inlet to the outlet,
- where the alkali hydroxide is a 50 to 86% aqueous alkali hydroxide, and
- where the alkali hydroxide is present in a molar excess up to 40%, relative to the alcohol quantity;
- and
- (b) maintaining high concentration of the feedstock by a method selected from the group consisting of:
- (i) feeding the feedstock in high concentration, and
- (ii) removing hydrogen and any diluent from the feedstock and the extrusion reactor;
- such that the alkali salts of the corresponding monocarboxylic acids are discharged from the extrusion reactor as pasty materials;
- (B) liberating the linear or branched, saturated monocarboxylic acids from the alkali salts by neutralisation.
A continuous process for producing linear or branched, saturated monocarboxylic acids having from 6 to 48 carbon atoms, which comprises:
- (A) converting linear or branched, primary alcohols into alkali salts of the corresponding monocarboxylic acids in the presence of an alkali hydroxide selected from the group consisting of NaOH and KOH, at elevated temperatures no higher than 320.degree. C., and at an excess pressure of up to 30 bar, where the feedstock consists essentially of the alcohols and the alkali hydroxide, comprising:
- (a) partially reacting the alcohols to an extent of about 30 to 70% by preliminary reaction of the alcohols with a 50 to 86% aqueous solution of the alkali hydroxide to produce an incompletely reacted product,
- (b) continuously reacting the incompletely reacted product in an extrusion reactor by mixing the product with additional alkali hydroxide, and transporting the materials from the inlet to the outlet, where the alkali hydroxide is present in a molar excess up to 40%, relative to the alcohol quantity;
- and
- (c) maintaining high concentration of the feedstock by a method selected from the group consisting of:
- (i) feeding the feedstock in high concentration, and
- (ii) removing hydrogen and any diluent from the feedstock and the extrusion reactor;
- such that the alkali salts of the corresponding monocarboxylic acids are discharged from the extrusion reactor as pasty materials;
- (B) liberating the linear or branched, saturated monocarboxylic acids from the alkali salts by neutralisation with a mineral acid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.