GB906163A - Process for the manufacture of a mixture of olefine oxidation products containing an olefine oxide - Google Patents

Abstract

A mixture of olefine oxidation products containing an olefine oxide is obtained by reacting an olefine-mercury co-ordination compound at elevated temperature with water in an aqueous phase having a pH value equal to or greater than 7. The preferred temperature range for carrying out the reaction is 100-150 DEG C. It may be advantageous to add an organic solvent to the reaction mixture, the preferred solvents being glycol and glycerin. There may be present in the reaction mixture a salt, for example an alkali metal carbonate; an alkali metal phosphate; lithium, sodium, potassium, beryllium, magnesium, aluminium, manganese, iron, nickel, copper, zinc or calcium sulphate; lithium, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium or aluminium chloride; sodium thiosulphate, potassium thiocyanate or an organic salt of an alkali metal. Hydroxides of lithium, sodium, potassium and barium may also be added. The mercury-olefine compounds used as starting materials may be made by mixing the olefine with a mercury compound. Preferably they are made by adding an olefine to an aqueous solution or suspension of a mercury salt. A mixture of olefines may be used and the mercury salt may be inorganic or organic. Other suitable mercury compounds are, for example, methyl - mercury fluoride, alkyl mercury hydroxides, alkyl- and phenyl-mercury salts, olefine-dimercury chlorides, aliphatic alcohol-mercury salts and ether-mercury salts. The absorption of the olefine preferably takes place at 0-90 DEG C. using a solvent, for example, water, aqueous salt solutions or aqueous solutions of organic compounds at a pH below 7. In the manufacture of the olefine oxide the pH value of the mixture is preferably in the range 8-14 at a temperature in the range 70-300 DEG C. The charge of the mercury salt with the olefine and the production of olefine oxide can be carried out either in two different vessels or in the same vessel. Examples are given of (a) the conversion of an ethylene compound of mercury to a mixture of acetaldehyde and ethylene oxide and (b) the conversion of a propylene compound of mercury to a mixture of propylene oxide and acrolein.