Process for producing alkylene sulfide

摘要

A process for producing an alkylene sulfide, which comprises the step of subjecting a mercaptoalkanol to an intramolecular dehydration reaction in the presence of an acidic dehydration catalyst, to produce the alkylene sulfide, in which the intramolecular dehydration reaction is conducted under at least one conditions of (1) to (3). (1) The intramolecular dehydration reaction is conducted in at least one solvent selected from the group consisting of compounds having an amide group N-substituted with a hydrocarbon group having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, compounds having an unsubstituted amide group, compounds having a ureylene group N-substituted with a hydrocarbon group having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, and compounds having an unsubstituted ureylene group. (2) The intramolecular dehydration reaction is conducted in a solvent under such temperature and pressure conditions that the reaction temperature T ( DEG C) and the boiling point tb ( DEG C) of the solvent at the reaction pressure satisfy equation (tb - 30) </= T </= tb. (3) The intramolecular dehydration reaction is conducted in a solvent in the presence of a hydrocarbon having a boiling point at ordinary pressure of from 30 DEG C to 180 DEG C. When the hydrocarbon has from 6 to 9 carbon atoms, the above-described effects are enhanced further. When the concentration of the hydrocarbon in the reaction mixture is maintained in the range of from 0.1 to 10% by weight, the above-described effects are enhanced even more.