Process for converting a hydroxycarboxylic acid, or salts thereof, to an unsaturated carboxylic acid and/or its esters
申请人:Bogan, JR. Leonard Edward
公开号:US20090076297A1
公开(公告)日:2009-03-19
A process for converting a salt of a hydroxycarboxylic acid to an unsaturated carboxylic acid, or esters thereof. The process involves converting an ammonium salt of a hydroxycarboxylic acid in aqueous solution to a corresponding hydroxycarboxylic acid and ammonium cation in aqueous solution; and separating the ammonium cation from the aqueous solution, leaving the hydroxycarboxylic acid in aqueous solution. The converting and separating steps may be accomplished by employing a hydrophobic acid or an acid ion exchange resin, each of which must have an acid dissociation constant, i.e., pK
a
, at least 0.5 less that that of the salt of the hydroxycarboxylic acid. Where a hydrophobic acid is used, it must be immiscible in water, and its salt must also be immiscible in water, and the resulting multi-phase solution comprises an aqueous phase comprising the corresponding hydroxycarboxylic acid, as well as a non-aqueous phase comprising a neutralized acid. Alternatively, where the ion exchange resin is used, the aqueous solution of the ammonium salt of a hydroxycarboxylic acid is contacted with the resin, thereby converting the salt to a hydroxycarboxylic acid and capturing the ammonium cations on the resin. In either case, the aqueous solution is treated, such as by heating, to separate and recover the hydroxycarboxylic acid. The non-aqueous phase or resin is treated to separate and recover ammonia useful for preparing additional ammonium salt of a hydroxycarboxylic acid.
将羟基羧酸盐转化为不饱和羧酸或其酯的过程。该过程涉及将水溶液中的羟基羧酸铵盐转化为相应的水溶液中的羟基羧酸和铵阳离子;并将铵阳离子从水溶液中分离出去,留下水溶液中的羟基羧酸。转化和分离步骤可以通过使用疏水酸或酸离子交换树脂来实现,这两者必须具有酸解离常数,即pKa,至少比羟基羧酸盐的pKa小0.5。如果使用疏水酸,则必须与水不相溶,其盐也必须与水不相溶,所得的多相溶液包括含有相应羟基羧酸的水相,以及含有中和酸的非水相。或者,如果使用离子交换树脂,则将羟基羧酸铵盐的水溶液与树脂接触,从而将盐转化为羟基羧酸,并在树脂上捕获铵阳离子。在任一情况下,水溶液经过处理,如加热,以分离和回收羟基羧酸。非水相或树脂经过处理以分离和回收氨,用于制备额外的羟基羧酸铵盐。