Production of nitriles

摘要

Nitriles are produced by reaction of ammonia in the gaseous phase with an aromatic hydrocarbon or heterocyclic compound having at least one nuclear hydrogen replaced by an aliphatic hydrocarbon radical, with an olefin or with a primary alcohol, at 950-1075, preferably 975-1025 DEG F., in the presence of a catalyst as herein specified, one or both of the reactants being preheated before contacting with the catalyst at reaction temperature, the ammonia not being preheated alone at above 1050 DEG F. or, in the presence of the organic compound, at above 925 DEG F. The catalysts contain a vanadium, molybdenum or tungsten oxide, a salt of molybdic acid, e.g. uranyl, iron, sodium, potassium, lead, and copper molybdates, or nickel or copper salts of stable acids, e.g. nickel phosphate, sulphate or chloride, preferably on supports such as silica gel, silicon carbide, pumice, clays, and especially alumina. The mixture of reactants may be preheated to about 850 DEG F., quickly contacted with the catalyst while heating to 1000 DEG F., and the products quickly cooled to 850 DEG F. or below. Alternatively, the organic reactant is preheated to above reaction temperature, mixed with ammonia preheated below 850 DEG F., and contacted with the catalyst at about 1000 DEG F. for a short time. Organic reactants include toluene, xylenes, trimethyl benzenes, styrene, and methyl naphthalenes; ethylene, propylene, butenes, octenes, methyl heptenes, butadienes, pentadienes, ethyl butenes, hexadienes, heptenes and pentenes; primary alcohols, preferably of 2-18 carbon atoms, e.g. ethyl, propyl, butyl, 2-methyl propyl, and benzyl alcohols, decanol-1, tetradecanol-1, and octanol-1, and polyhydric alcohols such as glycol and pentaerythritol; alkyl, especially methyl, thiophenes. Conditions of reaction and mode of operation are otherwise substantially as described in Specifications 645,754 and 645,755. The effects of varying preheater or reactor temperature in reacting ammonia and toluene, one or both reactants being preheated, are illustrated.