Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C07—ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
  • C07C—ACYCLIC OR CARBOCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
  • C07C27/00—Processes involving the simultaneous production of more than one class of oxygen-containing compounds
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01J—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
  • B01J23/00—Catalysts comprising metals or metal oxides or hydroxides, not provided for in group B01J21/00
  • B01J23/38—Catalysts comprising metals or metal oxides or hydroxides, not provided for in group B01J21/00 of noble metals
  • B01J23/48—Silver or gold
  • B01J23/52—Gold
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C07—ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
  • C07C—ACYCLIC OR CARBOCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
  • C07C29/00—Preparation of compounds having hydroxy or O-metal groups bound to a carbon atom not belonging to a six-membered aromatic ring
  • C07C29/132—Preparation of compounds having hydroxy or O-metal groups bound to a carbon atom not belonging to a six-membered aromatic ring by reduction of an oxygen containing functional group
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C07—ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
  • C07C—ACYCLIC OR CARBOCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
  • C07C45/00—Preparation of compounds having >C = O groups bound only to carbon or hydrogen atoms; Preparation of chelates of such compounds
  • C07C45/51—Preparation of compounds having >C = O groups bound only to carbon or hydrogen atoms; Preparation of chelates of such compounds by pyrolysis, rearrangement or decomposition
  • C07C45/53—Preparation of compounds having >C = O groups bound only to carbon or hydrogen atoms; Preparation of chelates of such compounds by pyrolysis, rearrangement or decomposition of hydroperoxides
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C07—ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
  • C07C—ACYCLIC OR CARBOCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
  • C07C2601/00—Systems containing only non-condensed rings
  • C07C2601/12—Systems containing only non-condensed rings with a six-membered ring
  • C07C2601/14—The ring being saturated

Definitions

• the invention generally relates to an improved catalytic process for decomposing alkyl or aromatic hydroperoxides to form a mixture containing the corresponding alcohol and ketone.
• the invention relates to decomposing a hydroperoxide by contacting it with a catalytic amount of a heterogenous catalyst comprised of gold, wherein one or more additional metals selected from Periodic Group VIII is/are also present with gold.
• adipic acid which is an important reactant in processes for preparing certain condensation polymers, notably polyamides. Due to the large volumes of adipic acid consumed in these and other processes, improvements in processes for producing adipic acid and its precursors can be used to provide beneficial cost advantages.
• Druliner et al. U.S. Patent No. 4,326,084, disclose an improved catalytic process for oxidizing cyclohexane to form a reaction mixture containing CHHP, and for subsequently decomposing the resulting CHHP to form a mixture containing K and A.
• the improvement involves the use of certain transition metal complexes of l,3-bis(2-pyridylimino)isoindolines as catalysts for cyclohexane oxidation and CHHP decomposition.
• these catalysts demonstrate longer catalyst life, higher CHHP conversion to K and A, operability at lower temperatures (80-160°C), and reduced formation of insoluble metal- containing solids, relative to results obtained with certain cobalt(II) fatty acid salts, e.g., cobalt 2-ethylhexanoate.
• Druliner et al. U.S. Patent No. 4,503,257, disclose another improved catalytic process for oxidizing cyclohexane to form a reaction mixture containing CHHP, and for subsequently decomposing the resulting CHHP to form a mixture containing K and A.
• This improvement involves the use of Co 3 O , MnO 2 , or Fe 3 O 4 applied to a suitable solid support as catalysts for cyclohexane oxidation and CHHP decomposition at a temperature from about 80°C to about 130°C, in the presence of molecular oxygen.
• an improved process in which a hydroperoxide is decomposed to form a decomposition reaction mixture containing a corresponding alcohol and ketone.
• the improvement comprises decomposing hydroperoxide by contacting a hydroperoxide with a catalytic amount of a catalytic amount of a heterogenous catalyst comprised of gold, wherein one or more additional metals selected from Periodic Group VIII is/are also present with gold.
• the catalysts are optionally supported on a suitable support member, such as Si ⁇ 2, AI2O3, carbon, zirconia, MgO or TiO 2 .
• the additional metal is Pt or Pd.
• the process may optionally be run in the presence of hydrogen gas.
• the present invention provides an improved process for conducting a hydroperoxide decomposition step in an industrial process in which an alkyl or aromatic compound is oxidized to form a mixture of the corresponding alcohol and ketone.
• cyclohexane can be oxidized to form a mixture containing cyclohexanol (A) and cyclohexanone (K).
• the industrial process involves two steps: first, cyclohexane is oxidized, forming a reaction mixture containing CHHP; second, CHHP is decomposed, forming a mixture containing K and A.
• processes for the oxidation of cyclohexane are well known in the literature and available to those skilled in the art.
• Advantages of the present heterogenous catalytic process include longer catalyst life, improved yields of useful products, and the absence of soluble metal compounds.
• the improved process can also be used for the decomposition of other alkane or aromatic hydroperoxides, for example, t-butyl hydroperoxide, cyclododecylhydroperoxide and cumene hydroperoxide.
• the CHHP decomposition process can be performed under a wide variety of conditions and in a wide variety of solvents, including cyclohexane itself. Since CHHP is typically produced industrially as a solution in cyclohexane from catalytic oxidation of cyclohexane, a convenient and preferred solvent for the decomposition process of the invention is cyclohexane. Such a mixture can be used as received from the first step of the cyclohexane oxidation process or after some of the constituents have been removed by known processes such as distillation or aqueous extraction to remove carboxylic acids and other impurities.
• the preferred concentration of CHHP in the CHHP decomposition feed mixture can range from about 0.5% by weight to 100% (i.e., neat). In the industrially practiced route, the preferred range is from about 0.5% to about 3% by weight.
• Suitable reaction temperatures for the process of the invention range from about 80°C to about 170°C. Temperatures from about 110°C to about 130°C are typically preferred. Reaction pressures can preferably range from about 69 kPa to about 2760 kPa (10-400 psi) pressure, and pressures from about 276 kPa to about 1380 kPa (40-200 psi) are more preferred. Reaction time varies in inverse relation to reaction temperature, and typically ranges from about 2 to about 30 minutes.
• the heterogenous catalysts of the invention include Au, Ag, Cu (including, but not limited to, Au, Ag and Cu sol-gel compounds) and certain non-Au/Ag/Cu sol-gel compounds, preferably applied to suitable solid supports.
• the inventive process may also be performed using Au, Ag or Cu in the presence of other metals (e.g., Pd).
• the metal to support percentage can vary from about 0.01 to about 50 percent by weight, and is preferably about 0.1 to about 10 wt. percent.
• Suitable, presently preferred supports include SiO 2 (silica), Al 2 O 3 (alumina), C (carbon), TiO 2 (titania), MgO (magnesia) or ZrO (zirconia). Zirconia and alumina are particularly preferred supports, and Au supported on alumina is a particularly preferred catalyst of the invention.
• Some of the heterogenous catalysts of the invention can be obtained already prepared from manufacturers, or they can be prepared from suitable starting materials using methods known in the art.
• Supported gold catalysts can be prepared by any standard procedure known to give well-dispersed gold, such as evaporative techniques or coatings from colloidal dispersions.
• ultra-fine particle sized gold is preferred.
• small particulate gold (often smaller than lOnm) can be prepared according to Haruta, M., "Size-and Support-Dependency in the Catalysis of Gold", Catalysis Today 36 (1997) 153-166 and Tsubota et al., Preparation of Catalysts V, pp. 695-704 (1991).
• Such gold preparations produce samples that are purple-pink in color instead of the typical bronze color associated with gold and result in highly dispersed gold catalysts when placed on a suitable support member.
• These highly dispersed gold particles typically are from about 3 nm to about 15 nm in diameter.
• the catalyst solid support including SiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , carbon, MgO, zirconia, or TiO 2 , can be amorphous or crystalline, or a mixture of amorphous and crystalline forms. Selection of an optimal average particle size for the catalyst supports will depend upon such process parameters as reactor residence time and desired reactor flow rates. Generally, the average particle size selected will vary from about 0.005 mm to about 5 mm. Catalysts having a surface area larger than 10 m 2 /g are preferred since increased surface area of the catalyst has a direct correlation with increased decomposition rates in batch experiments.
• a preferred support is alumina; more preferred is ⁇ -alumina and ⁇ alumina.
• a “sol-gel technique” is a process wherein a free flowing fluid solution, "sol", is first prepared by dissolving suitable precursor materials such as colloids, alkoxides or metal salts in a solvent. The “sol” is then dosed with a reagent to initiate reactive polymerization of the precursor.
• a reagent such as tetraethoxyorthosilicate (TEOS) dissolved in ethanol. Water, with trace acid or base as catalyst to initiate hydrolysis, is added.
• TEOS tetraethoxyorthosilicate
• Water with trace acid or base as catalyst to initiate hydrolysis, is added.
• the "gel” consists of a crosslinked network of the desired material which encapsulates the original solvent within its open porous structure.
• the "gel” may then be dried, typically by either simple heating in a flow of dry air to produce a xerogel or the entrapped solvent may be removed by displacement with a supercritical fluid such as liquid CO 2 to produce an aerogel.
• a supercritical fluid such as liquid CO 2
• These aerogels and xerogels may be optionally calcined at elevated temperatures (>200°C) which results in products which typically have very porous structures and concomitantly high surface areas.
• the catalysts can be contacted with CHHP by formulation into a catalyst bed, which is arranged to provide intimate contact between catalysts and reactants.
• catalysts can be slurried with reaction mixtures using techniques known in the art.
• the process of the invention is suitable for batch or for continuous CHHP decomposition processes. These processes can be performed under a wide variety of conditions.
• Adding air or a mixture of air and inert gases to CHHP decomposition mixtures provides higher conversions of process reactants to K and A, since some cyclohexane is oxidized directly to K and A, in addition to K and A being formed by CHHP decomposition.
• This ancillary process is known as "cyclohexane participation", and is described in detail in Druliner et al., U.S. Patent No. 4,326,084, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.
• Other gases may also be added or co-fed to the reaction mixture as needed. Inert gases such as nitrogen may also be added to the reaction alone or in combination with other gases.
• the results of the CHHP decomposition reaction can be adjusted by choice of catalyst support, gases added to the reaction mixture, or metals added to the heterogeneous catalysts of the invention.
• metals added to the heterogeneous catalysts of the invention are for use as promoters, synergist additives, or co-catalysts are selected from Periodic Group VIII, hereby defined as Fe, Co, Ni, Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, Ir, and Pt. Most preferred is Pd and Pt.
• One preferred gas that can be added to the reaction mixture is hydrogen.
• An advantage of the addition of hydrogen is that the K/A ratio can be varied according to need.
• the addition of hydrogen can also convert impurities or by-products of the reactions, such as benzene, to more desirable products.
• the recovered solid was calcined in flowing nitrogen (100 mL/min) at 400°C for 1 hour, cooled to 200°C and calcined another 1 hour in flowing hydrogen (100 mL/min) and then stored in tightly capped vial for testing as a CHHP decomposition catalyst.
• the recovered solid was calcined in flowing nitrogen (100 mL/min) at 400°C for 1 hour, cooled to 200°C and calcined another 1 hour in flowing hydrogen (100 mL/min) and then stored in tightly capped vial for testing as a CHHP decomposition catalyst.
• Experiments 8-13 were carried out according to the general gold deposition technique of Tsubota et al, Preparation of Catalysts V, pp. 695-704 (1991) to produce ultra-fine gold particles. These supported catalysts were purple/pink in color compared to the bronze/gold (higher loadings) or brown/grey (lower loadings) supported catalysts of Experiments 1-7.
• EXAMPLES Examples 1-22 were run in batch reactor mode, in stirred 3.5 mL glass vials, sealed with septa and plastic caps. Vials were inserted into a block aluminum heater/stirrer apparatus that holds up to 8 vials. Stirring was done using Teflon ® -coated stir bars. Each vial was first charged with 1.5 mL of n-octane or undecane solvent, approximately 0.005 or 0.01 g of a given crushed catalyst, a stir bar and the vial was sealed. Vials were stirred and heated approximately
• t-BuOOH t-butylhydroperoxide
• CumeneOOH cumenehydroperoxide
• Examples 23-39 were run in a liquid full plug flow reactor, 30 inches (76 cm) with a l A inch (0.64 cm) diameter. Inlet and exit pressure was 150 psig (1.03 MPa gauge) controlled with a back pressure regulator.
• the catalysts were all prepared as in Experiment 13 on 2 mm spheres with the appropriate metal salts and type of alumina, with the exception that reduction was performed by flowing H 2 at 150°C instead of sodium citrate.
• the feed consisted of 1.6% CHHP in cyclohexane, about 1% K and 2% A, and varying amounts of water and acid impurities consisting of monobasic and dibasic acids which would be

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• 1999
  • 1999-03-10 MX MXPA01009075A patent/MXPA01009075A/es unknown
  • 1999-03-10 AU AU29031/99A patent/AU2903199A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1999-03-10 PL PL99357043A patent/PL357043A1/xx unknown
  • 1999-03-10 WO PCT/US1999/005228 patent/WO2000053550A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1999-03-10 KR KR1020017011432A patent/KR20020018999A/ko not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1999-03-10 EP EP99909950A patent/EP1159240A1/en not_active Withdrawn
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  • 1999-03-10 BR BR9917285-2A patent/BR9917285A/pt not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1999-03-10 CN CN99816427A patent/CN1337930A/zh active Pending
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  • 1999-03-10 JP JP2000603993A patent/JP2002539097A/ja active Pending
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