Acrylonitrile → Acrylonitrile

Participants

Reaction Steps

Referring now to the drawing, an embodiment involving a continuous process for the reaction of acrylonitrile, isobutylene and a monoadduct of acrylonitrile and isobutylene to produce 5-methylenenonanedinitrile and 5-methyl-4-nonenedinitrile will be described. Acrylonitrile and isobutylene are introduced into single-stage reactor 11 by way of conduit means 12 and 13, respectively. A monoadduct of acrylonitrile and isobutylene, i.e. predominately 5-methyl-5-hexenenitrile with a small amount of 2,4-dimethyl-4-pentenenitrile, is introduced into reactor 11 by way of conduit means 14, while water is introduced into reactor 11 by way of conduit means 15. A convenient method of carrying out the production of the diadduct in reactor 11 comprises heating the mixture of acrylonitrile, isobutylene, and the mixture of 5-methyl-5-hexenenitrile and 2,4-dimethyl-4-pentenenitrile in a reaction pressure vessel at a temperature within the range of about 240° to about 350° C. and at pressures in the range of about 3.45 to about 27.58 MPa (about 500 to about 4000 psig), the mol ratio of the acrylonitrile to the isobutylene being in the range of about 5:1 to about 0.2:1, and the concentration of the monoadduct reactant in the reaction mixture being in the range of about 20 to about 80 weight percent.

Provenance & Evidence