Patent ID: 6191302
Filing Date: 2001-02-20
Classification: C07C

Abstract:
A process for producing an alkyl nitrite comprising the steps of:(1) feeding an alkyl alcohol liquid cooled to a temperature of from -15.degree. to 30 C. into a top portion of the upper section of a distillation column reactor in which the upper section is connected to a lower section having a bottom portion in which a liquid bottom fraction containing the alkyl alcohol is accumulated, while allowing the fed alkyl alcohol liquid to flow downward through the upper and lower sections of the distillation column reactor;(2) circulating the alkyl alcohol-containing liquid fraction through a circulating path through which the liquid bottom fraction is withdrawn from the bottom portion of the lower section of the distillation column reactor, the withdrawn liquid fraction is cooled to a temperature in the range from 0 to 50 C. and of 3 to 20 C. lower than the original temperature of the liquid bottom fraction in the bottom portion, and then the cooled liquid fraction is returned into an upper portion of the lower section of the distillation column reactor, thereby to cause the returned liquid fraction to flow downward through the lower section of the distillation column reactor;(3) introducing a feed gas containing nitrogen oxide into the lower section of the distillation column reactor, while allowing the fed feed gas to flow upward through the lower section of said distillation column reactor, and to come into countercurrent contact with the alkyl alcohol liquid and the alkyl alcohol-containing liquid fraction flowing downward through the lower section, whereby a gas-liquid reaction of the nitrogen oxide in the feed gas with the alkyl alcohol is effected at a temperature of 0 to 100 C. in the lower section to produce an alkyl nitrite; and(4) delivering a resultant gas fraction containing the alkyl nitrite from the distillation column reactor; wherein(a) the total amount of the liquid fraction circulating through the lower section of the distillation column reactor is controlled to a level of 50 to 200 times the total amount of the alkyl alcohol fed into of the distillation column reactor;(b) the total molar amount of the alkyl alcohol fed into the distillation column reactor and the alkyl alcohol contained in the liquid fraction circulating through the lower section of the distillation column reactor is controlled in a molar ratio of 20:1 to 150:1 to the molar amount of nitrogen oxide contained in the feed gas fed into the lower section of the distillation column reactor; and(c) the content of the alkyl alcohol in the liquid bottom fraction accumulated in the bottom portion of the distillation column reactor is maintained at a level of 15 to 60% by weight.