| 摘要 |
<p>Sulpholene is converted into sulpholane by hydrogenation in the presence of a solid hydrogenation catalyst, the sulpholene being used in a solution, containing at least 10% by weight of sulpholene and optionally up to 80% sulpholane and/or up to 80% of propanol and/or isopropanol, which is introduced into a hydrogenation zone, the hydrogenation temperature being from 0 DEG to 50 DEG C. and the partial pressure of hydrogen being from 5 to 200 kg./cm.2 and the hydrogenation being discontinued prior to or when the activity of the catalyst has diminished to such an extent as to cause only 80% conversion in a time originally sufficient to obtain 100% conversion. Preferably the sulpholene is introduced into the hydrogenation zone as a solution in one or more of the following:- sulpholane, acetone, C1-C3 alcohols, or cycloaliphatic ethers having 4 ring carbon atoms and one or two ether oxygen atoms in the molecule. Suitable catalysts are nickel, nickel-chromium alloys and metals of the platinum group preferably on a carrier such as silica. If desired the catalyst may be mixed with a porous particulate material, e.g. a porous catalyst carrier comprising silica and/or one or more silicates and/or alumina and/or one or more aluminates or a molecular sieve material such as a zeolite. If desired the hydrogenation may be carried out as a part of a two-stage process in the first of which sulpholene is produced by the addition of sulphur dioxide to butadiene, the sulpholene (optionally after isolation) being then hydrogenated in the second stage. The hydrogenation catalyst may be regenerated by heating the spent catalyst with oxygen-containing gas at 400-500 DEG C. and subsequently with hydrogen at 100-500 DEG C. Preferably the spent catalyst is heated at 20-500 DEG C. with an inert gas, e.g. nitrogen, before the treatment with oxygen.</p> |
