Process for making nitriles

US9040735B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• INVISTA North America S.a.r.l. · US

Inventors

• Sudhir Aki · Houston, US
• Wyatte E. Allen · Bridge City, US
• Mark Anstrom · Beaumont, US
• Charles N. Campbell, II · Austin, US
• Tseng H. Chao · Beaumont, US
• James E. McIntosh · Beaumont, US
• Larry E. Moerbe · Bridge City, US
• Bruce Edwin Murphree · Beaumont, US
• Mark D. Rogers · Port Arthur, US
• William J. Tenn, III · Beaumont, US
• Thomas E. Vos · Beaumont, US
• Michael W. Wensing · Baytown, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 4, 2012
• Grant date: May 26, 2015
• Expiry date: Oct 4, 2032

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02P20/584
• WIPO field: Organic fine chemistry
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

The present invention relates to a process for hydrocyanating 3-pentenenitrile. The process can include feeding 3-pentenenitrile and HCN to a hydrocyanation reaction zone that includes a Lewis acid promoter, nickel, and a phosphorus-containing ligand. In various embodiments, the process can also include controlling water concentration within the hydrocyanation reaction zone sufficient to maintain a high activity of the ligand catalyst complex while recycling at least a portion of the ligand catalyst complex.