GB1340388A - Production of epsilon-caprolactone - Google Patents

Abstract

1340388 #-caprolactone SUMITOMO CHEMICAL CO Ltd 18 May 1971 [19 May 1970] 15606/71 Heading C2C #-Caprolactone is obtained by reacting, in the liquid phase, cyclohexanone, an aliphatic aldehyde and oxygen or an oxygen-containing gas in the presence of at least one catalyst which is a heavy metal laurylbenzene sulphonate or a complex thereof of formula wherein M is a heavy metal salt of laurylbenzenesulphonic acid, A is a saturated aliphatic aldehyde having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, B is a saturated aliphatic acid having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, and n and m are each zero or have any positive value. The reaction may be effected batchwise or continuously, optionally in an inert solvent, at a temperature of 20- 80‹C, and the aldehyde is generally employed in an amount of 0À1-2 moles per mole of cyclohexanone. Preferred heavy metal salts are the Co, Mn, Fe, Mo and Cu salts, and the catalyst is suitably employed in an amount of not less than 0À00001% by wt. of the total weight of the cyclohexanone and aliphatic aldehyde. The complex catalysts may be prepared by reacting the metal lauryl benzene sulphonate with the aliphatic aldehyde and/or acid and subsequently removing any excess of the reactants under reduced pressure.