Ammonia → Ethylparaben

Participants

Reaction Steps

A reaction tube having an inside diameter of 5 cm was filled with 293 g of a supported catalyst composed of boron phosphate (P2O5 /B2O3 mole ratio=2) deposited in an amount of 2.51% by weight on the same silica carrier as used in Example 1. Ethyl p-hydroxybenzoate and ammonia were introduced into the reaction tube at a rate of 72.3 g/hr and 148 g/hr, and reacted in the vapor phase at 385° C. The mole ratio of ammonia to ethyl p-hydroxybenzoate in the gaseous mixture was 20:1, and the contact time was 10 seconds. When the reaction was continued for 8 hours, 388.9 g of p-hydroxybenzonitrile was obtained from 578.4 g of ethyl p-hydroxybenzoate. The yield was 93.8% by weight. Gas chromatographic analysis showed that the amount of by-product phenol was only 0.5% by weight.

Provenance & Evidence