PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ACID ANHYDRIDES FROM EPOXIDES
First Claim
1. A method for the continuous production of an acid anhydride, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) contacting an epoxide with carbon monoxide, optionally in the presence of a carbonylation catalyst in a first reaction zone to provide a first product stream comprising beta-lactone, residual epoxide, and, if present, the carbonylation catalyst;
b) feeding the first product stream to a second reaction zone, where the stream is contacted with additional carbon monoxide under conditions sufficient to convert substantially all of the residual epoxide to beta-lactone and to convert a portion of the beta-lactone to acid anhydride, to provide a second product stream comprising dissolved acid anhydride and, if present, carbonylation catalyst;
c) treating the second product stream such that the concentration of the acid anhydride in the stream exceeds the solubility of the acid anhydride;
d) separating solid acid anhydride from the second product stream to produce an acid anhydride product stream comprising solid acid anhydride and a liquid catalyst recycling stream comprising the dissolved catalyst, if present, and dissolved acid anhydride; and
e) returning the liquid catalyst recycling stream to an inlet of the first reaction zone.
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Abstract
A method of making acid anhydrides from epoxide and carbon monoxide feedstocks is presented. In various aspects, the method includes steps of reacting the contents of a feed stream comprising an epoxide, a solvent, a carbonylation catalyst and carbon monoxide to produce a first carbonylation product stream comprising a beta-lactone, then reacting the contents of the first carbonylation product stream with additional carbon monoxide to produce a second carbonylation product stream comprising an acid anhydride, and separating at least a portion of the acid anhydride from the second carbonylation product stream to produce: i) an acid anhydride product stream comprising the separated portion of acid anhydride; and ii) a recycling stream comprising the carbonylation catalyst, and finally adding the recycling stream to the feed stream.
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Citations
38 Claims
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1. A method for the continuous production of an acid anhydride, the method comprising the steps of:
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a) contacting an epoxide with carbon monoxide, optionally in the presence of a carbonylation catalyst in a first reaction zone to provide a first product stream comprising beta-lactone, residual epoxide, and, if present, the carbonylation catalyst; b) feeding the first product stream to a second reaction zone, where the stream is contacted with additional carbon monoxide under conditions sufficient to convert substantially all of the residual epoxide to beta-lactone and to convert a portion of the beta-lactone to acid anhydride, to provide a second product stream comprising dissolved acid anhydride and, if present, carbonylation catalyst; c) treating the second product stream such that the concentration of the acid anhydride in the stream exceeds the solubility of the acid anhydride; d) separating solid acid anhydride from the second product stream to produce an acid anhydride product stream comprising solid acid anhydride and a liquid catalyst recycling stream comprising the dissolved catalyst, if present, and dissolved acid anhydride; and e) returning the liquid catalyst recycling stream to an inlet of the first reaction zone. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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Specification