Water → Oxygen

Participants

Reaction Steps

In FIG. 2, which shows a lactam preparation in which the rearrangement mixture is neutralized to ammonium sulfate, the letters A, B, D, and E denote similar devices to those in FIG. 1. The flows 1, 2, 3 and 4 are the same as those mentioned in FIG. 1. Neutralizing device B is fed with an amount of water through conduit 19 to keep the water concentration at the desired level. The extraction of lactam is effected in two extracting devices C1 and C2 that are connected by two conduits. After the neutralized reaction mixture supplied through conduit 4 has been separated into two liquid layers, the organic layer is passed through conduit 5 to extracting device C1 and the aqueous layer containing ammonium sulfate is passed through conduit 6 to extracting device C2. The organic solvent is supplied through conduit 9 and the lactam-laden solvent is discharged through conduit 7. Tar and water can be vented through conduit 8. The aqueous ammonium sulfate layer is passed through conduit 10 to decomposition device D, where it is decomposed by means of coke supplied through feed 18. The resulting gases containing ammonia and sulfur dioxide are passed through conduit 11 to neutralizing device B and the sulfur dioxide escaping from this device is passed through conduit 12 to installation E for the preparation of oleum, which is fed with water vapor formed in the decomposition of ammonium sulfate through conduit 16, with oxygen through conduit 15, and, if so required, with sulfur through conduit 20. The residual liquid components in device D are drained from the system through conduit 17 and a gas containing mainly carbon dioxide is removed through conduit 14.

Provenance & Evidence