Granted Patent B2

US 8,558,039 · App. 12/951,800 · Granted Oct 15, 2013

Abstract

Claims (17)

1. A process for synthesizing a first nitroalkane and a second nitroalkane, the process comprising:

reacting a first feedstock in a reactor with aqueous nitric acid at a reaction temperature of between about 140 degrees Celsius and about 325 degrees Celsius and a reaction pressure of at least about 6.89×10 6 Pascal to produce a first reaction product stream;

quenching the first reaction product stream in a cooling system such that the first reaction product stream phase separates into at least a first gas phase, a first oil phase, and a first aqueous phase;

absorbing in an absorber water-soluble and oil-soluble components from the first gas phase to form a first hydrocarbon gas stream and a first gas-recovered mixture;

forming in a separator a first combined gas-recovered aqueous phase and a first combined gas-recovered oil phase from the first gas-recovered mixture, the first oil phase, and the first aqueous phase;

recovering the first nitroalkane from at least one of the first combined gas-recovered aqueous phase and the first combined gas-recovered oil phase;

reacting a second feedstock in the reactor with aqueous nitric acid at a reaction temperature of between about 140 degrees Celsius and about 325 degrees Celsius and a reaction pressure of at least about 6.89×10 6 Pascal to produce a second reaction product stream;

quenching the second reaction product stream in the cooling system such that the second reaction product stream phase separates into at least a second gas phase, a second oil phase, and a second aqueous phase;

absorbing in the absorber water-soluble and oil-soluble components from the second gas phase to form a second hydrocarbon gas stream and a second gas-recovered mixture;

forming in the separator a second combined gas-recovered aqueous phase and a second combined gas-recovered oil phase from the second gas-recovered mixture, the second oil phase, and the second aqueous phase; and

recovering the second nitroalkane from at least one of the second combined gas-recovered aqueous phase and the second combined gas-recovered oil phase.

2. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the first nitroalkane and the second nitroalkane are recovered in a recovery system.

3. A process according to claim 2 , wherein the recovery system comprises at least one stripping apparatus.

4. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the first feedstock comprises propane, and wherein the first nitroalkane is 2-nitropropane.

5. A process according to claim 4 , wherein the second feedstock comprises isobutane, and wherein the second nitroalkane is tert-nitrobutane.

6. A process according to claim 1 , wherein first feedstock comprises cyclohexane, and wherein the first nitroalkane is nitrocyclohexane.

7. A process according to claim 6 , wherein the second feedstock comprises n-octane, and wherein the second nitroalkane is nitro-n-octane.

Assignments (13)