Water → Sodium Behenate

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

The recrystallized behenic acid prepared above (88 kg), 422 L of distilled water, 49.2 L of a 5 mole/l aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide, and 120 L of tert-butyl alcohol were mixed. The mixture was allowed to react by stirring at 75° C. for 1 hour to obtain sodium behenate solution B. Separately, 206.2 L of an aqueous solution (pH 4.0) of 40.4 kg of silver nitrate was prepared and kept at 10° C. In a reaction vessel, 635 L of distilled water and 30 L of tert-butanol were placed and maintained at 30° C., and the whole amount of the sodium behenate solution B and the whole amount of the silver nitrate aqueous solution prepared above were added thereto while thoroughly stirring at respective constant rates over a period of 93 minutes and 15 seconds and a period of 90 minutes, respectively, in the following fashion. Addition of the silver nitrate aqueous solution was started first. At the time when the addition of the silver nitrate aqueous solution lasted for 11 minutes, addition of sodium behenate solution B was started. After the addition of the silver nitrate aqueous solution completed, the addition of sodium behenate solution B was continued for an additional period of 14 minutes and 15 seconds. During the addition, the temperature inside the reaction vessel was maintained at 30° C. by controlling externally so that the mixed solution temperature was kept constant. The sodium behenate solution B was fed through a hot water jacketed pipe so that the temperature of solution B might be 75° C. at the tip of the nozzle, while the silver nitrate aqueous solution was fed through a cold water jacketed pipe. The position of adding sodium behenate solution B and that of silver nitrate aqueous solution were symmetric about the stirring axis and above the liquid level so as to be kept away from the reaction solution.

Provenance & Evidence