Patent GB-742038-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in the production of adipic acid
IPC: C07C51/12
Filed: 1953-11-11
Abstract: Adipic acid is produced by treating butanediol-1.4 at temperatures between 150 DEG  and 300 DEG  C. and under a pressure exceeding 50 atmospheres with carbon monoxide in the presence of particles of a nickel alloy which contains a preponderating amount of nickel and in addition iron or cobalt or iron and cobalt, and in the presence of iodine as an activator.  The iodine may be either free or in combined form, e.g. in hydrogen iodide, ammonium iodide, methyl and ethyl iodide or bismuth iodide.  The catalyst should preferably contain at least 80 per cent by weight of nickel.  In addition to the nickel and cobalt and/or iron the catalyst may contain other polyvalent metals, e.g. beryllium, zinc, aluminium, tin, zirconium, arsenic, antimony and in particular chromium, manganese or bismuth.  Small amounts of metal carbonyls such as nickel or cobalt carbonyl and of a bismuth compound may also be added to the reaction mixture.  The reaction is carried out at temperatures between 150 DEG  and 300 DEG  C. and at a pressure exceeding 50 atmospheres.  The carbon monoxide may be mixed with, for example, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, methane or hydrogen. The reaction may be carried out in the presence of solvents such as water, non-olefinic hydrocarbons or the reaction product.  In addition to adipic acid, some a .a 1-dimethyl succinic acid, valeric acid, valerolactone and tetrahydrofurane may be formed.ALSO:Catalysts for the production of adipic acid from butane-diol-1.4 and carbon monoxide consist of alloys which contain a preponderating amount of nickel and also iron or cobalt or iron and cobalt.  In addition the alloys may contain other polyvalent metals such as beryllium, zinc, aluminium, tin, zirconium, arsenic, antimony, chromium, manganese or bismuth. The catalysts are used in the form of particles such as pills or grains and they may be mixed with inert filling bodies or applied to inert carriers such as pumice stone, coke or silica gel. In the examples adipic acid is prepared from butane diol-1.4 and carbon monoxide using catalysts containing (1) nickel and cobalt (2) nickel, cobalt and bismuth; nickel, iron and bismuth and nickel, iron, cobalt and bismuth; (3) nickel, cobalt and manganese; nickel, iron and manganese; nickel, iron and chromium; nickel, cobalt and chromium, and nickel, cobalt, chromium and manganese.ALSO:Alloys, used as catalysts, contain a preponderating amount of nickel and in addition iron or cobalt or iron and cobalt. Optional constituents are other polyvalent metals such as beryllium, zinc, aluminium, tin, zirconium, arsenic, antimony, chromium, manganese or bismuth.  In the examples the catalysts consist of alloys of the following percentage compositions: (1) 95, 90 or 85 nickel, 5, 10 or 15 cobalt; (2) 92 nickel, 5 cobalt, 3 bismuth; (3) 90 nickel, 7 cobalt, 3 bismuth; 90 nickel, 5 iron 5 bismuth; 90 nickel, 3 iron, 3 cobalt, 4 bismuth; and 85 nickel, 10 cobalt, 5 bismuth; 80 nickel, 10 cobalt, 10 manganese; 95 nickel, 2,5 iron, 2,5 manganese; 90 nickel, 5 iron, 5 manganese; 95 nickel, 2,5 iron, 2,5 chromium; 90 nickel, 5 iron, 5 chromium; 85 nickel, 7,5 iron, 7,5 manganese; 80 nickel, 5 iron, 10 cobalt, 5 bismuth; 85 nickel, 10 cobalt, 5 manganese; 85 nickel, 10 cobalt; 5 chromium; and 85 nickel, 10 cobalt, 2,5 chromium, 2,5 manganese.