Manufacture of aqueous methanolic solution of sodium formate

US4237318A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• BASF SE

Inventors

• Werner Ostertag · Havelsee, DE
• Gerd Wunsch · Speyer, DE
• Volker Kiener · Bad Dürkheim, DE
• Eckhard Hetzel · Frankenthal (Pfalz), DE
• Siegfried Schreiner · Ludwigshafen, DE
• Bernd Leutner · Bischofswerda, DE
• Hans-Ulrich Schlimper · Speyer, DE
• Erfried Voelkl

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 5, 1979
• Grant date: Dec 2, 1980
• Expiry date: Jun 5, 1999

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C01B17/66
• WIPO field: Materials, metallurgy
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

In a process for the manufacture of sodium dithionite by reacting sulfur dioxide with sodium formate and aqueous sodium hydroxide solution in the presence of methanol, an aqueous methanolic solution of sodium formate is first produced by reacting carbon monoxide with sodium hydroxide solution in an aqueous medium, containing from 1 to 50% by weight of methanol, based on the amount of water, at from 80 to 120.degree. C. under a pressure of from 10 to 40 bars. The resulting aqueous methanolic solution can be reacted directly, in the conventional manner, with sulfur dioxide and aqueous sodium hydroxide solution to give sodium dithionite.