GB1181292A - The Continuous Production of Acrylonitrile or Methacrylonitrile - Google Patents

Abstract

1,181,292. Production of acrylonitrile and methacrylonitrile. MONTECATINI EDISON S.p.A. 21 April, 1967 [28 April, 1966], No. 18596/67. Heading C2C. Acrylonitrile or methacrylonitrile are continuously produced by the passage at high temperatures of a gaseous reaction mixture of propylene or isobutylene respectively, ammonia and oxygen through a fluidized bed of a solid oxidation catalyst in a reactor provided with one or more cyclones for the separation of catalyst entrained with the gaseous mixture, the or each cyclone having a return passage through which the separated entrained catalyst is returned to the fluidized bed, and in which oxygen is added to the return passage of the or each cyclone for the oxidative regeneration of the catalyst being returned to the bed. The oxygen employed may be pure oxygen or a free oxygen containing 3% by volume, e.g. air, or air enriched with oxygen, and it is suitably added to the return passage or passages such that its linear velocity is greater than the minimum velocity for fluidization, and less than the entrainment velocity of the catalyst passage or passages. The catalyst is preferably regenerated at a temperature of at least the reaction temperature in the fluidized bed.