GB963430A - Improvements in and relating to the production of olefine oxides and carboxylic acids - Google Patents

Abstract

Oxygen containing compounds comprising olefine oxides and carboxylic acids are produced by contacting a liquid mixture containing an aldehyde of 2 or more carbon atoms and an olefinic compound having a terminal double bond and containing 3 or more carbon atoms with a gas containing molecular oxygen at 40 to 150 DEG C. Acetaldehyde is particularly suitable but higher straight and branched chain aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes may be used. The olefines may be aliphatic mono-olefines, those with an alkyl group or the 2-carbon atom being preferred, and may contain other functional groups, e.g. hydroxy, alkoxy, keto, carboxyl, esto, aryl and halide. Di-olefines, e.g. butadiene, may also be used and yield mono and/or di-oxides. As oxygen-containing gas, oxygen itself, mixtures of oxygen and nitrogen or oxygen with any suitable diluent, e.g. CO2 or the olefine to be oxidized, may be used. The reaction, which may be performed batchwise, semi-continuously or continuously in the presence or absence of a diluent, is preferably initiated by, for example, U.V. light, various peroxide compounds and/or inorganic or organic salts of variable valency metals. The material of construction of the apparatus is of importance, porcelain, glass, enamel, resins, aluminium, tin and, in particular, "Staybright" (Registered Trade Mark) metal being suitable, and the volume: surface area ratio thereof should be as large as possible. The Provisional Specification relates to the co-oxidation of aldehydes and non-terminal olefines as well as the process of the invention.