Patent ID: 6300431
Filing Date: 2001-10-09
Classification: B01D,B01J

Abstract:
A phase transfer process for conducting heterogeneous reactions in a liquid-liquid two phase reaction system comprising a water-miscible polar liquid phase and a non-polar liquid phase which is at least partially miscible with the polar liquid;said reaction being carried out between reactants selectively soluble in the different phases, one of the reactants being transferred into the other phase by means of a phase transfer catalyst which is soluble in said polar liquid phase with said one reactant;said phases being separated after completion of the reactions by adding water to the two phase reaction system to dissolve out the polar liquid phase containing the phase transfer catalyst into an aqueous phase which is immiscible with the non-polar liquid phase;separating the phase transfer catalyst from the polar liquid phase by passing the aqueous polar liquid phase through a membrane which retains the transfer catalyst while passing the polar liquid;and re-using the recovered phase transfer catalyst in another phase transfer process.