Abstract:
An epoxidation reaction product formed by the molybdenum catalyzed reaction of propylene with tertiary butyl hydroperoxide to provide propylene oxide and tertiary butyl alcohol is separated by distillation into a propylene fraction, a propylene oxide fraction, a tertiary butyl alcohol fraction and a heavy liquid distillation fraction composed primarily of tertiary butyl hydroperoxide, tertiary butyl alcohol, dissolved molybdenum catalyst, and impurities including lower aliphatic C 1  -C 4  carboxylic acids, and the heavy liquid distillation fraction is saturated with hydrogen to precipitate the molybdenum therefrom for recovery.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to an improvement in the process for resolving the reaction mixture that is formed in preparing propylene oxide and tertiary butyl alcohol by reacting propylene with tertiary butyl hydroperoxide in solution in tertiary butyl alcohol in the presence of a soluble molybdenum catalyst. More particularly, this invention is directed to a method for substantially removing molybdenum from the reaction mixture. 
     Molybdenum compounds are somewhat toxic to livestock and, therefore, solutions containing molybdenum must be handled with care. Also, the presence of molybdenum in liquid by-products presents a disposal problem because of the limited toxicity of molybdenum to livestock. 
     The epoxidation reaction mixture that is formed when propylene is reacted with tertiary butyl hydroperoxide in solution in tertiary butyl alcohol in the presence of a soluble molybdenum epoxidation catalyst will normally comprise unreacted propylene, propylene oxide, tertiary butyl alcohol, unreacted tertiary butyl hydroperoxide, the soluble molybdenum catalyst and impurities, including C 1  to C 4  lower aliphatic carboxylic acids. The reaction mixture is usually separated by distillation into a plurality of fractions including a recycle propylene fraction, a propylene oxide product fraction, a tertiary butyl alcohol product fraction and a heavy liquid distillation fraction containing tertiary butyl alcohol, unreacted tertiary butyl hydroperoxide and impurities, including subtantially all of the dissolved molybdenum catalyst and a portion of the lower aliphatic carboxylic acid impurities. 
     In accordance with the present invention, the heavy liquid distillation fraction is charged to a molybdenum precipitation reactor where it is brought into liquid phase contact with an excess of hydrogen (based on the molybdenum content). As a consequence, the hydrogen will react with substantially all of the molybdenum to form a molybdate precipitate that can be separated from the thus-treated heavy liquid distillation fraction in a precipitate separation zone. The separate precipitate will comprise a concentrated solid molybdenum product that may be processed for the recovery of molybdenum. The precipitate will contain substantially all of the molybdenum present in the reaction mixture and, as a consequence, the thus-treated molybdenum fraction will pose a lesser environmental problem and can be disposed of more easily. 
     2. Prior Art 
     It is known to react propylene with tertiary butyl hydroperoxide in the presence of a soluble molybdenum catalyst to provide a reaction product comprising propylene oxide and tertiary butyl alcohol. See, for example, Kollar U.S. Pat. No. 3,350,422, Kollar U.S. Pat. No. 3,351,635, and Russell U.S. Pat. No. 3,418,340. 
     It is also known to prepare soluble molybdenum catalysts to catalyze the reaction as disclosed, for example, in Bonetti et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,480,563, Shum et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,607,113, Marquis et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,626,596, Marquis et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,650,886, Marquis et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,703,027, etc. 
     Kollar U.S. Pat. No. 3,860,662 is directed to an improvement in his basic process relating to the recovery of alcohols from the reaction product, which product is stated to be of an acidic nature, wherein a basic material such as an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal compound is added to the reaction mixture. Kollar U.S. Pat. No. 3,947,500 discloses a method for treating the reaction product formed by the reaction of an organic hydroperoxide with an olefin wherein an organic alcohol is formed as a by-product. It is stated that the alcohol tends to dehydrate and that to at least partially overcome this problem the oxidation reaction product is treated with an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal compound. Kollar states that the alkali metal or alkaline earth metal compound can be added to the epoxidation reactor or to the reaction product. 
     Sorgenti U.S. Pat. No. 3,573,226 discloses a method wherein a molybdenum-containing catalyst solution is prepared by incorporating metallic molybdenum into the distillate bottoms fraction of an epoxidation reaction product followed by heating of the resultant mixture in order to form a soluble molybdenum-containing reaction product which can be used to catalyze the epoxidation reaction. 
     The molybdenum-catalyzed epoxidation of alpha olefins and alpha substituted olefins with hydroperoxides less stable than tertiary butyl hydroperoxide may be accomplished according to U.S. Pat. 3,862,961 to Sheng, et al. by employing a critical amount of a stabilizing agent consisting of a C 3  to C 9  secondary or tertiary monohydric alcohol, such as tertiary butyl alcohol. Citric acid is used to minimize the iron-catalyzed decomposition of the organic hydroperoxide without adversely affecting the reaction between the hydroperoxide and the olefin. A similar oxirane producing process is disclosed in Herzog in U.S. Pat. No. 3,928,393. The inventors in U.S. Pat. No. 4,217,287 discovered that if barium oxide is present in the reaction mixture, the catalytic epoxidation of olefins with organic hydroperoxides can be successfully carried out with good selectivity to the epoxide based on hydroperoxide converted when a relatively low olefin to hydroperoxide mole ratio is used. The alpha-olefinically unsaturated compound should be added incrementally to the organic hydroperoxide. 
     Maurin U.S. Pat. No. 3,931,044 is directed to a method for recovering molybdenum catalyst values from a peroxidation reaction product for recycle. Maurin discloses one of three techniques. In accordance with the first embodiment, the residue fraction is calcined to provide molybdenum trioxide which is then used to prepare a soluble molybdenum compound by reaction with aqueous ammonia. In a second embodiment, the molybdenum-containing fraction is treated with aqueous ammonia without calcining to form an ammonium molybdate which is treated with a polyalcohol to give a molybdic ester. In a third embodiment, the molybdenum-containing fraction is treated with gaseous ammonia in order to form an ammonium molybdate precipitate which can be recovered by filtration. 
     Harvey U.S. Pat. No. 3,449,217 is directed to a process for the recovery of tertiary butyl hydroperoxide from a mixture comprising tertiary butyl hydroperoxide, tertiary butyl alcohol and organic acids and esters resulting from the liquid phase oxidation of isobutane by a process which minimizes hydroperoxide decomposition. This is done by accomplishing the distillation while the product has an effective pH of below about 9. The patentee teaches the treatment of the reactor effluent with a neutralizing agent such as an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal hydroxide. 
     Levine U.S. Pat. No. 3,819,663 is directed to a method for treating a heavy distillation fraction of this nature in order to recover the molybdenum in the concentrated bottoms fraction for recycle to the epoxidation reaction zone as makeup catalyst. 
     Levine conducts his wiped-film evaporation process under conditions including a temperature of about 550°-650° F. (about 273° to about 330° C.) at atmospheric pressure to obtain his desired residual fraction for recycle as catalyst makeup and a distillate fraction comprising about 85% or more of the heavy distillation fraction. Levine states that the distillate fraction that is thus obtained can be used as a furnace fuel or can be worked up for recovery of the individual components contained therein. However, Levine et al. does not contain any teaching as to how the individual components in the fraction would be obtained. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the present invention, a heavy distillation fraction comprising tertiary butyl hydroperoxide, tertiary butyl alcohol and impurities including about 0.4 to about 0.8 wt. % of dissolved molybdenum catalyst and lower aliphatic carboxylic acids resulting from the removal of propylene, propylene oxide and tertiary butyl alcohol from an epoxidation reaction product is charged to a precipitation zone which may suitably comprise a reactor, such as an autoclave, provided with suitable agitating means (e.g., an impeller), temperature control means such as a jacket or coils through which a liquid heat exchange medium can be circulated, charge lines for the heavy distillation fraction and for the hydrogen and a discharge line for withdrawal of the treated product. Within the precipitation zone the hydrogen will react with the molybdenum compounds present in the heavy distillation fraction to form a reaction product comprising a molybdenum-containing precipitate that can be withdrawn from the precipitation zone. The precipitate can be removed in any desired manner in a precipitate removal zone (e.g., by filtration, centrifugation, etc.). The precipitate can be recovered for disposal in any suitable environmentally acceptable manner, such as for example by treatment in a metals-reclaiming plant for the recovery of the molybdenum. 
     It has been discovered in accordance with the present invention that when the heavy distillation fraction contains only about 0.8 wt. % or less of molybdenum (e.g., 0.4 to 0.8 wt. % the precipitation of the molybdenum compounds will be essentially complete in that that precipitate will contain substantially all of the molybdenum charged to the precipitation zone. It has been discovered that when heavy distillation fractions containing larger amounts of molybdenum are used, an undesirably higher percentage of the molybdenum will remain dissolved in the treated heavy fraction. Accordingly, and in accordance with the present invention, the concentration of molybdenum in the heavy distillation fraction to be charged to the precipitation zone will be adjusted, if too high, by the addition of an appropriate amount of another component of the heavy distillation fraction (e.g., t-butyl alcohol). 
     The hydrogen should preferably be used in excess, as compared with the amount of molybdenum in the heavy distillation fraction such as a 5 to 200 to one excess of moles of hydrogen to gram atoms of molybdenum and, preferably, an excess of from about 10 to about 100 moles of hydrogen per gram atom of molybdenum. 
     The precipitation reaction is conducted at an elevated temperature, such as temperatures within the range of about 100° to 250° C. and pressures within the range of about 500 to 3,000 psig. The contact time should be sufficient to insure that the precipitation reaction goes to completion (e.g., 0.2 to 2 hours). 
     After the precipitation reaction is completed, the mixture of precipitate and treated heavy distillation fraction is withdrawn from the precipitation zone for removal of the precipitate. The precipitate can be removed in any desired manner, e.g., filtration, centrifugation, evaporation, etc. Since the precipitate constitutes only a minor amount of the mixture of precipitate and treated heavy distillation fraction, filtration is preferred. 
     The filtrate obtained by the practice of the present invention will contain only a residual amount of molybdenum (e.g., from 10 to 100 ppm) and meets environmental guidelines. For example, it can be charged to a boiler as a fuel, or further treated (e.g., by vacuum distillation for the recovery of at least a portion of the tertiary butyl alcohol and/or tertiary butyl hydroperoxide contained therein. 
     The precipitate, which will normally contain about 40 to about 58 wt. % of molybdenum can be disposed of in an environmentally acceptable manner. For example, it can be used as a feedstock in a metals-reclaiming plant or used as a raw material for the preparation of an additional amount of fresh molybdenum catalyst solution. 
     BACKGROUND INFORMATION 
     When propylene is reacted with tertiary butyl hydroperoxide in solution in tertiary butyl alcohol in an epoxidation reaction zone in the presence of a soluble molybdenum catalyst to form propylene oxide and additional tertiary butyl alcohol, an epoxidation reaction mixture is formed which will contain not only unreacted feed components and the desired propylene oxide and tertiary butyl alcohol, but also impurities including the dissolved molybdenum catalyst, oxygen-containing impurities such as ditertiary butyl peroxide, lower aliphatic C 1  to C 4  carboxylic acids such as formic acid, acetic acid, isobutyric acid, etc., alcohols such as methanol, isopropyl alcohol, tertiary butyl alcohol, etc., esters such as methyl formate, methyl acetate, methyl isobutyrate, etc., ketones such as acetone, etc., aldehydes such as isobutyraldehyde, etc., and hydrocarbon impurities resulting from undesired side reactions of the propylene, such as hydrocarbons containing 6 or more carbon atoms. 
     Although most of the impurities are originally present in the epoxidation reaction mixture in trace quantities, as the epoxidation reaction mixture is resolved by distillation into a propylene recycle fraction, a propylene oxide product fraction and a tertiary butyl alcohol product fraction, all of which are distillate fractions, the impurites are progressively concentrated in a heavier distillation fraction, such as a distillation fraction having the composition generally set forth in Table I. 
     
                       TABLE I______________________________________COMPOSITION OF HEAVY DISTILLATION FRACTIONSComponent          Concentration, Wt. %______________________________________Impurities lighter than TBA              0.1-2Tertiary butyl alcohol              70-90Impurities heavier than TBA              1-4but lighter than TBHPTertiary butyl hydroperoxide              2-20Impurities heavier than TBHP              3-12Molybdenum concentration              500-5,000 ppm______________________________________ 
    
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     In the drawing, the FIGURE is a schematic drawing of a preferred reaction and purification sequence that may be used in the practice of the present invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Turning now to the drawing, there is shown a schematic flowsheet illustrating a preferred method of practicing the process of the present invention. 
     An epoxidation reaction zone 10 is provided and propylene is charged thereto by a line 12 together with a soluble molybdenum catalyst charged by a line 14. A solution of tertiary butyl hydroperoxide in tertiary butyl alcohol is charged by a line 16. 
     The epoxidation reaction is an epoxidation reaction of the type disclosed by Kollar U.S. Pat. No. 3,351,653 as further elaborated upon, for example, in British patent specification No. 1,298,253 wherein propylene is reacted with tertiary butyl hydroperoxide under reaction conditions including a reaction temperature within the range of about 180° to about 300° F., a pressure of about 300 to about 1000 psig. and, more preferably, a temperature of about 220° F.; to about 280° F. and a pressure of about 500 to about 800 psig. As another example, the epoxidation of propylene with tertiary butyl hydroperoxide in solution in tertiary butyl alcohol in the presence of a soluble molybdenum catalyst is disclosed in Marquis et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,891,437. See also, Marquis et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,845,251. 
     The soluble molybdenum catalyst charged to the epoxidation reaction zone by the line 14 may be an epoxidation catalyst of the type known in the art such as those disclosed by the Kollar patent or the British patent or by Marquis et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,626,596, U.S. Pat. No. 4,650,886, U.S. Pat. No. 4,654,427, U.S. Pat. No. 4,703,027, or U.S. Pat. No. 4,758,681. The Marquis et al. patents are directed to molybdenum/alkanol complexes such as solutions of molybdenum compounds in ethylene glycol which contain a high concentration of molybdenum and are particularly useful as catalysts in the epoxidation reaction. Marquis et al. teach, for example, the epoxidation of propylene with tertiary butyl hydroperoxide with their catalyst under epoxidation conditions including a temperature of 50° to 180° C. and a use of propylene to tertiary butyl hydroperoxide ratios within the range of about 0.9:1 to about 3.0:1. 
     Suitably, the tertiary butyl hydroperoxide that is charged to the epoxidation reaction zone 10 by way of line 16 is about a 40 to about 75 wt.% solution of tertiary butyl hydroperoxide in tertiary butyl alcohol. The catalyst is charged to the epoxidation reaction zone 10 by the charge line 14 in an amount such as to provide from about 50 to about 1000 ppm of molybdenum, based on the total of the reactants charged and, more preferably, from about 200 to 600 ppm. The reaction is preferably conducted at superatmospheric pressure such as a pressure of about 300 to 1000 psig. 
     When the reaction is conducted on a continuous basis, as illustrated in the drawing, the feed materials are charged to the epoxidation reaction zone 10 through the lines 12, 14 and 16 at rates sufficient to maintain the desired concentration of reactants and an equivalent volume of epoxidation reaction mixture is withdrawn from the epoxidation reaction zone 10 by way of a discharge line 18. The reaction product discharged by the line 18 will normally comprise unreacted propylene, a minor amount of unreacted tertiary butyl hydroperoxide, propylene oxide, tertiary butyl alcohol, including tertiary butyl alcohol formed by the reaction of the tertiary butyl hydroperoxide with propylene, the molybdenum catalyst and impurities such as propane, propionaldehyde, acetone, methanol, isopropanol, water, acetaldehyde, methyl formate, acetic acid, formic acid, isobutyric acid, hydrocarbons containing 6 or more carbon atoms and high boiling residue components. 
     The reaction product 18 is charged to an epoxidation reaction product distillation zone 20 where it is separated by distillation into desired fractions in accordance with methods known to those skilled in the art. For example, the distillation sequence disclosed in British Patent No. 1,298,253 may be used. 
     One of the distillate products that is recovered in the zone 20 is a propylene fraction which is discharged by a line 22 controlled by a valve 24 and provided with a branch line 26 controlled by a valve 28 in order to permit the recycle of unreacted propylene to the epoxidation reaction zone 10 through the propylene charge line 12. 
     Another distillate fraction that is obtained is a propylene oxide product fraction 30 which is discharged by the line 30. 
     The propylene oxide fraction may be purified in a propylene oxide purification zone (not shown) by known techniques such as, for example, those disclosed in Burnes et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,715,284, Schmidt et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,909,366, Schmidt U.S. Pat. No. 3,881,996, Jubin U.S. Pat. No. 3,607,669, Schmidt U.S. Pat. No. 3,843,488 or Schmidt U.S. Pat. No. 4,140,588. 
     Another product that is recovered from the epoxidation reaction product distillation zone 20 is a tertiary butyl alcohol distillate product 40 which may be further purified, if desired, to remove oxygenated impurities therefrom by catalytic treatment as disclosed, for example, in Sanderson et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,704,482, Sanderson et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,705,903 or Sanderson et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,742,149. 
     A heavy distillation fraction 50, usually a bottoms fraction, is also discharged from the epoxidation reaction product distillation zone 20. As described by Levine U.S. Pat. No. 3,819,663 and Sweed U.S. Pat. No. 4,455,283, the heavy distillation fraction will contain substantially all of the molybdenum catalyst initially charged to the epoxidation reaction zone 10 by way of the line 14. The heavy distillation fraction 50 will contain other products such as tertiary butyl hydroperoxide, tertiary butyl alcohol and impurities including oxygenates lighter than tertiary butyl alcohol such as acetaldehyde, acetone, isopropyl alcohol, etc., oxygenates heavier than tertiary butyl alcohol but lighter than tertiary butyl hydroperoxide, and residue components heavier than tertiary butyl hydroperoxide such as propylene glycol tertiary butyl ethers, etc. As indicated, the heavy distillation fraction 50 will also contain carboxylic acids such as formic acid, acetic acid and isobutyric acid. 
     Although the molybdenum catalyst is present in the epoxidation reaction zone 10 in an amount in the range of about 50 to 1,000 ppm, and usually 200 to 600 ppm, it is progressively concentrated in the epoxidation reaction product distillation zone 20 and is normally present in the heavy distillation fraction 50 in an amount in the range of about 0.4 to 0.8 wt.% (about 4,000 to 8,000 ppm). 
     The molybdenum-contaminated heavy distillation fraction 50, in accordance with the present invention, is charged to a precipitation zone 60 which may comprise a reaction vessel such as an autoclave which is equipped with suitable agitation means (e.g., an impeller) and suitable temperature control means such as an external jacket or internal coils through which a heat exchange medium can be circulated. Within the precipitation zone the heavy distillation fraction 50 is brought into contact with hydrogen which is charged by a hydrogen charge line 52 in an amount such that the hydrogen is in molar excess, as compared with the dissolved molybdenum. Suitably, from about 5 to about 200 moles of hydrogen are charged per gram atom of dissolved molybdenum and, more preferably, from about 10 to about 100 moles of hydrogen are charged per gram atom of dissolved molybdenum. The hydrogen is brought into contact with the heavy distillation fraction 50 under suitable temperature and pressure conditions, such as temperatures within the range of about 100° to 250° C. and pressures within the range of about 200 to about 3,000 psig. The contact time should be sufficient to ensure as complete a reaction of the hydrogen with the molybdenum as is reasonably possible and to ensure substantially complete precipitation of the product, such as a contact time of about 0.2 to 2 hours. 
     The thus-formed slurry of precipitate in the treated heavy distillation fraction 50 is discharged from the precipitation zone 60 by a slurry discharge line 62 leading to a precipitate separating zone, such as a filtration zone 70 when the slurry is resolved into a precipitate that is removed by a discharge line 72 and a substantially molybdenum-free filtrate fraction that is discharged by a filtrate discharge line 74 controlled by a valve 76. 
     If the molybdenum content of the heavy distillation fraction 50 is greater than about 0.8 wt.%, a portion of the filtrate may be recycled to the precipitation zone 60 by a filtrate recycle line 78 controlled by a valve 79. 
     EXAMPLES 
     The invention will be illustrated by the following specific examples which are given by way of illustration and not as limitations on the scope of this invention. 
     The experiments were conducted in a one-liter batch stirred reactor under the conditions as noted in Table II. For example in Experiment 6547-59, 500 grams of a 0.56 wt.% molybdenum catalyst solution were charged to the reactor. Hydrogen was then charged to the reactor. The reactor was held at 200° C. and 2,080 psig. for a period of three hours then cooled down. The reactor was vented and the contents filtered. The dried precipitate contained 44 wt.% molybdenum while the filtrate contained only 23 ppm molybdenum. 
     Experiments 6547-72 and 77 represented a two-stage reaction sequence. In the first stage the molybdenum content was reduced from 15,000 to 1,100 ppm. This filtrate was subjected to a second hydrogenation in which the level of molybdenum in the filtrate was reduced to 970 ppm. 
     
                       TABLE II______________________________________Hydrogenation of Mo Catalyst Solution                            Init  Precip                                        Filt   Chg           Press t    ppm   wt %  ppmReference   (g)    T(C)   (psig)                       (hr) Mo    Mo    Mo______________________________________6547-59 500    200    2,080 3    5,600 44     236547-65 499    200    2,050 3    5,600 40     706547-67 498    200    2,100 3    25,000                                  12    5,0006547-71 498    200    2,100 1    15,000                                  27    9606547-74 499    180    1,430 1    6,650 41    4506547-75 500    150      880 1    6,650 41    9206655-27 399    150    2,100 1    6,650 48    9506547-72 468    200    2,080 1    15,000                                  34    1,1006547-77 273    200    2,000 1    1,100 NES.sup.1                                        970______________________________________ .sup.1 Not Enough Sample for Testing.