HYDRAZINE MANUFACTURE

• US 3,616,312 A
• Filed: 09/16/1969
• Issued: 10/26/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/1966
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Stuart G. Mcgriff, Wayne A. Mcrae
• Original Assignee: Stuart G. Mcgriff, Wayne A. Mcrae
• Inventors: McGriff, Stuart G., McRae, Wayne A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mack, John H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Prescott, A. C.
• Application Number:
  US04/870,920
• Time in Patent Office: 770 Days
• Field of Search: 204/18P,101,102,59 23/190
• US Class Current: 205/432
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 21/16 Hydrazine; Salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 241/02 Preparation of hydrazines
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 243/10 Hydrazines
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 243/14 of a saturated carbon skeleton
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 3/00 Electrolytic production of organic compounds

Abstract

Hydrazine is produced in a two chamber electrolytic cell with anode and cathode chambers separated by an ion exchange membrane. When using an anion exchange membrane, ammonia and nonaqueous solvent are fed to the cathode compartment and hydrazine and solvent are collected from the anode compartment. When using a cation exchange membrane ammonia and nonaqueous solvent are fed to the anode compartment while hydrazine is also removed from the anode compartment. Similarly, alkyl hydrazines can be produced by feeding a lower alkyl amine instead of ammonia.

Claims

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the fluid solvent is selected from the group consisting of dimethyl formamide, dimethyl acetamide, dimethyl sulfoxide and mixtures thereof.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein the hydrazine is separated and recovered from the withdrawn anloyte solution by distillation.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein the membrane is cation-permselective and wherein the ammonia-containing fluid solvent is passed into said anode chamber and the fluid solvent into said cathode chamber.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein the membrane is anion-permselective and wherein the ammonia-containing fluid solvent is passed into said cathode chamber and the fluid solvent into said anode chamber.

6. A process of electrolytically producing alkyl hydrazines in a two-chamber cell having a terminal anode and cathode electrode and adjacently permselective membrane comprising, passing a nonaqueous fluid solvent containing a lower alkyl amine into that electrode chamber which is adjacent to the electrode having a charge opposite in sign to the fixed charge on said membrane, passing fluid solvent into said other electrode chamber, passing a direct current across the electrodes through said chambers and membrane to cause the anodic formation of a lower alkyl hyrazine, withdrawing the resulting anolyte solution from said chamber, and separating and recovering said alkyl hydrazine from said anolyte solution.

7. The process of claim 6 wherein the lower alkyl amine is methyl amine and the fluid solvent in dimethyl sulfoxide.