METHOD FOR REMOVING MERCAPTANS

Abstract: Mercaptans are removed from materials such as acrylates containing the same as an impurity with efficiency by treating the materials with lead compounds and/or copper compounds at 0-60°C.

Description: The present invention relates to a method for removing mercaptans from acrylates or methacrylates containing a small amount of mercaptans as an impurity. When, for example, acrylates or methacrylates are polymerized using peroxides or azo compounds as polymerization initiators and mercaptan compounds as chain transfer agents and then the remaining monomers are recovered by distillation, the recovered monomers are usually difficult to be reused as they are, since they contain mercaptans which are left unremoved. The presence of mercaptans, even if an amount thereof is very small, is so smelly that it causes problems in handling. Washing with sulfuric acid, alkalis or water is usual for removal of mercaptans contained in hydrocarbons, aromatic compounds and the like. However, these methods require complicated steps and besides have the limitation that only such liquid as inert to sulfuric acid or alkali can be used. It is also difficult to completely and selectively remove only mercaptans by extraction or distillation. Therefore, development of a simple and efficient method for removing mercaptans contained as an impurity has been demanded. The present invention is a method for removing mercaptans, characterized by treating acrylates or methacrylates containing mercaptans as an impurity with at least one compound selected from the group consisting of lead compounds and copper compounds. As the acrylates or methacrylates, mention may be made of, for example, methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, propyl acrylate, butyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, propyl methacrylate, butyl methacrylate and mixtures thereof. As the mercaptans contained in acrylates or methacrylates, mention may be made of, for example, alkyl mercaptans of 1-8 carbon atoms such as methyl mercaptan, ethyl mercaptan, propyl mercaptan, butyl mercaptan, and octyl mercaptan and mixtures thereof. These are mainly the compounds added as chain transfer agents in polymerization of acrylates or methacrylates. Content of the mercaptans which are impurities is usually about 0.3% by weight or less, but may be more than 0.3% by weight. The method of the present invention will be explained with reference to removal of mercaptans from acrylates or methacrylates containing a small amount of mercaptans as an impurity. The lead compounds used in the present invention include, for example, trilead tetraoxide, lead monoxide, lead dioxide and mixtures thereof. Preferred is trilead tetraoxide. The copper compounds include, for example, copper (II) carboxylates, especially preferably copper (II) carboxylates of 2-19 carbon atoms such as copper formate, copper acetate, copper citrate, copper oleate and copper naphthenate. Further examples are inorganic copper salts such as copper sulfate and copper chloride, complex compounds such as copper (II) acetylacetonate and mixtures thereof. These lead compounds and copper compounds may be used alone or in combination to exhibit the desired effect. These are used preferably in the form of powder or granules. The lead compounds and/or copper compounds are preferably used in an amount of 0.05-5 parts by weight in terms of lead and/or copper per part by weight of mercaptans contained as an impurity. Treating temperature is 0-60°C, preferably from room temperature to 40°C and treating time is preferably 1 to several hours. Under these conditions, the materials containing mercaptans and the lead compound and/or copper compound are kept for a given time preferably under stirring. By this treatment, mercaptans contained as an impurity can be substantially removed without any adverse effect on acrylates or mehacrylates. The resulting treated liquid can be further purified by distillation. In this case, the distillation can be conducted after the lead compounds and/or copper compounds are removed by filtration or centrifugal separation. Alternatively, the lead compounds and/or copper compounds may not be removed before the distillation. In this distillation, polymerization inhibitors generally used for inhibition of polymerization of acrylates or methacrylates can be preferably used. The present invention will be explained in more detail by the following examples. Example 1 In a 300 ml three-necked flask equipped with a stirrer and a cooler was charged 200 g of methyl methacrylate containing 1400 ppm of n-butyl mercaptan and was added thereto 0.6 g of trilead tetraoxide. This flask was dipped in a constant temperature bath of 25°C and stirred at 300-400 min⁻¹. After 2 hours, 500 ppm of diphenyl-p-phenylene-diamine was added as a polymerization inhibitor. A Liebig condenser was provided and temperature of the constant temperature bath was elevated to 60°C and methyl methacrylate was distilled under reduced pressure (180 mmHg ≙ 24 kPa). Distillate obtained after distillation of about 98% was subjected to determination of amount of n-butyl mercaptan by flame ionization detector type gas chromatography to find that the amount was less than the minimum amount for assay (10 ppm). Example 2 Example 1 was repeated except that 0.8 g of copper naphthenate was used in place of the trilead tetraoxide. n-Butyl mercaptan was not detected in the distillate. Example 3 Example 1 was repeated except that an amount of the trilead tetraoxide was changed from 0.6 g to 0.2 g and 0.4 g of copper naphthenate was further added. n-Butyl mercaptan was not detected in the distillate. Examples 4-11 Example 1 was repeated except that the lead compound or the copper compound as shown in Table 1 was used and the acrylate or methacrylate as shown in Table 1 was added. Amounts of mercaptan in the resulting acrylate or methacrylate are also shown in Table 1.

Claims: A method for removing mercaptan which comprises treating acrylates or methacrylates containing mercaptans as an impurity with at least one compound selected from the group consisting of lead compounds and copper compounds. A method according to claim 1, wherein the acrylates or methacrylates are methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, propyl acrylate, butyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, propyl methacrylate, butyl methacrylate or mixtures thereof. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the mercaptans are alkyl mercaptans of 1-8 carbon atoms. A method according to claim 3, wherein the mercaptans are methyl mercaptan, ethyl mercaptan, propyl mercaptan, butyl mercaptan, octyl mercaptan or a mixture thereof. A method according to claims 1 to 4, wherein the content of the mercaptans is 0.3 % by weight or less. A method according to claims 1 to 5, wherein the lead compounds are trilead tetraoxide, lead monoxide, lead dioxide or a mixture thereof. A method according to claims 1 to 6, wherein the copper compounds are copper (II) carboxylates, inorganic copper salts, complex compounds of copper or a mixture thereof. A method according to claim 7, wherein the copper compounds are copper (II) carboxylates of 2-19 carbon atoms. A method according to claim 8, wherein the copper (II) carboxylates of 2-19 carbon atoms are copper formate, copper acetate, copper citrate, copper oleate, copper naphthenate or a mixture thereof. A method according to claim 7, wherein the inorganic copper salts are copper sulfate, copper chloride or a mixture thereof. A method according to claim 7, wherein the complex compounds of copper are copper (II) acetylacetonate. A method according to claims 1 to 11, wherein the amount of at least one compound selected from the group consisting of lead compounds and copper compounds is 0.05-5 parts by weight in terms of lead and copper per part by weight of mercaptans. A method according to claims 1 to 12, wherein the treating is effected at 0-60°C. A method according to claim 13, wherein the treating is effected at a temperature from room temperature to 40°C. A method according to claims 1 to 14, wherein the treating is effected for one hour or more. A method according to claims 1 to 15, wherein liquid after the treatment is subjected to distillation after or before the lead compounds and copper compounds are removed.

Inventors: KOBAYASHI, MASAO, OKAMURA, KOUHEI, YOSHIOKA, TERUHIKO, KOBAYASHI, MASAO, C/O MITSUBISHI RAYON CO. LTD., OKAMURA, KOUHEI, C/O MITSUBISHI RAYON CO. LTD., YOSHIOKA, TERUHIKO, C/O MITSUBISHI RAYON CO. LTD.
Applicants: MITSUBISHI RAYON CO., LTD
Application year: 1990
Main classification: C08F6
IPC codes: C08F6, C07C17, C07C45, C07C67, C07C7, C10G29, C07C51