PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF NEOPENTYLGLYCOL USING FORMALDEHYDE WITH A LOW METHANOL CONTENT
申请人:Sirch Tilman
公开号:US20080004475A1
公开(公告)日:2008-01-03
A process is provided for the preparation of polymethylol compounds of formula (I):
(HOCH
2
)
2
—C—(R)
2
, (I)
in which the radicals R independently of one another are each a further methylol group, an alkyl group having from 1 to 22 C atoms or an aryl or aralkyl group having from 6 to 22 C atoms, by
(a) condensing aldehydes having from 2 to 24 C atoms with formaldehyde in an aldol reaction using tertiary amines as a catalyst to give alkanals of formula (II):
in which the radicals R independently of one another are each as defined above,
(b) then separating, by distillation, the reaction mixture obtained into a bottom product comprising predominantly the compounds of formula II and a low-boiling stream consisting of unconverted or partially converted starting materials, and
(c) hydrogenating the distillation bottom, wherein the aldol reaction is carried out with an aqueous formaldehyde solution having a methanol content of 0.35 to 0.5% by weight of methanol, the low-boiling stream is separated off at a pressure of 1 to 3 bar and temperatures of 100 to 135° C. and completely or partially recycled into the aldol reaction.
This procedure advantageously makes it possible specifically to prevent the formation of by-products and hence to increase the yield of the desired polymethylol compound.
We have found that this object is achieved by a process for the preparation of polymethylol compounds of formula (I):
(HOCH
2
)
2
—C—(R)
2
, (I)
in which the radicals R independently of one another are each a further methylol group, an alkyl group having from 1 to 22 C atoms or an aryl or aralkyl group having from 6 to 22 C atoms, by
(a) condensing aldehydes having from 2 to 24 C atoms with formaldehyde in an aldol reaction using tertiary amines as a catalyst to give alkanals of formula (II):
in which the radicals R independently of one another are each as defined above,
(b) then separating, by distillation, the reaction mixture obtained (aldolization product) into a bottom product comprising predominantly the compounds of formula II and a low-boiling stream consisting of unconverted or partially converted starting materials, and
(c) hydrogenating the distillation bottom, wherein the aldol reaction is carried out with an aqueous formaldehyde solution having a methanol content of 0.35 to 0.5% by weight, the separation of the low-boiling stream is effected at a pressure of 1.1 to 3 bar, preferably 1.5 bar, and a temperature of 100 to 135° C., preferably of 102 to 125° C., and the low-boiling stream is completely or partially recycled into the aldol reaction, preferably the entire low-boiling stream being recycled.
In the aldol reaction, a partially converted starting compound of formula (III):
can also be formed in which the radicals R independently of one another are each hydrogen or are as defined above. According to the invention, this partially converted starting compound of formula (III), together with the desired alkanal of formula (II), is separated from the other by-products and the unreacted starting compounds and reacted again in an aldol reaction with formaldehyde having a methanol content of 0.35% by weight to 0.5% by weight, using tertiary amines as a catalyst.
提供了一种制备通式(I)的聚羟甲基化合物的方法:(HOCH2)2—C—(R)2,其中R基团彼此独立地分别为另一个羟甲基、具有1至22个碳原子的烷基、或具有6至22个碳原子的芳基或芳烷基,该方法包括:(a) 在叔胺催化剂存在下,通过醇醛反应将具有2至24个碳原子的醛与甲醛缩合,得到通式(II)的烷基醛:其中R基团彼此独立地如上定义,(b) 然后通过蒸馏将获得的反应混合物分离成主要包含通式(II)化合物的底部产物和由未转化或部分转化的起始材料组成的低沸点流,以及(c) 氢化蒸馏底部,其中醇醛反应使用含有0.35%至0.5%重量甲醇的甲醛水溶液进行,低沸点流在1至3巴的压力和100至135°C的温度下分离,并完全或部分循环回醇醛反应中。这种方法特别有利于防止副产物的形成,从而提高所需聚羟甲基化合物的收率。我们发现,通过一种制备通式(I)的聚羟甲基化合物的方法可以实现这一目标:(HOCH2)2—C—(R)2,其中R基团彼此独立地如上定义,该方法包括:(a) 在叔胺催化剂存在下,通过醇醛反应将具有2至24个碳原子的醛与甲醛缩合,得到通式(II)的烷基醛:其中R基团彼此独立地如上定义,(b) 然后通过蒸馏将获得的反应混合物(醇醛化产物)分离成主要包含通式(II)化合物的底部产物和由未转化或部分转化的起始材料组成的低沸点流,以及(c) 氢化蒸馏底部,其中醇醛反应使用含有0.35%至0.5%重量甲醇的甲醛水溶液进行,低沸点流的分离在1.1至3巴的压力下进行,优选1.5巴,温度为100至135°C,优选102至125°C,低沸点流完全或部分循环回醇醛反应中,优选整个低沸点流循环。在醇醛反应中,还可以形成部分转化的起始化合物通式(III):其中R基团彼此独立地分别为氢或如上定义。根据本发明,这种部分转化的起始化合物通式(III)与所需的烷基醛通式(II)一起,从其他副产物和未反应的起始化合物中分离出来,并在叔胺催化剂存在下,使用含有0.35%重量至0.5%重量甲醇的甲醛进行再次醇醛反应。