GB319205A - A process for the catalytic alkylation of hydrocarbons, alcohols, organic acids and amines - Google Patents

Abstract

319,205. Rheinische Kampfer Fabrik Ges. Sept. 17, 1928, [Convention date]. Hydrocarbons; alkylated amines, esters, ethers. - Hydrocarbons, alcohols, organic acids and amines are alkylated or aralkylated by reacting with unsaturated hydrocarbons (or bodies capable of yielding such unsaturated hydrocarbons) by the action of activated hydrosilicates or of silica obtained therefrom. The activated hydrosilicates are made by heating with acids, bleaching earths,. clays, kaolin and the like; for instance kaolin may be heated at 100-120‹ C. for several hours with 25 per cent sulphuric acid, or bleaching earth,. kaolin and the like may be treated to produce silica by prolonged heating with strong hydrochloric or sulphuric acid at 100-120‹ C., the product being washed and dried. The hydrocarbons such as propylene mav be united with carboxylic acids such as benzoic acid to produce esters and an alcohol may be converted into an ether by heating with the catalysts; also ammonia, aliphatic and aromatic amines mav be alkylated, for instance bv heating with ethylene, and a migration of the alkyl group to the nucleus in aromatic compounds may take place. Instead of a hydrocarbon, an alcohol or ether such as ethyl or methyl alcohol or ether or cyclohexanol may be used. In the examples (1) naphthalene is heated in an autoclave at 250‹ C. with an activated bleaching earth such as " tonsil " and ethylene is forced in at 20-40 atmos., yielding polyethyl naphthalenes: (2) cyclohexanol and benzene are heated with " tonsil " to yield cyclohexylbenzene; (3) benzyl alcohol and benzene are heated with " tonsil " yielding diphenylmethane and other isomers; (4) ethyl alcohol vapour is passed at 150-200‹ C. over activated bleaching earth such as " tonsil " or frankonite," yielding ethyl ether; (5) benzoic acid and " tonsil " are heated and propylene is passed in at 50-60 atmos., yielding isopropyl benzoate; (6) aniline and methyl alcohol are heated with tonsil " or aniline and methyl alcohol are passed over "tonsil." yielding dimethylaniline. The Specification as open to inspection under Sect. 91 (3) (a) states that the process may be used to alter the position of an alkyl group in the molecule, or that a compound containing more than one alkyl group may be made to part with one or more such groups to another compound containing none. According to examples, anisol and isomeric cresols are obtained from ethyl alcohol and phenol, 6-chlorthymol is obtained by isomerization of the isopropyl ether produced by treating 6-chlor-m-cresol with propylene, and diethyl naphthalenes treated with naphthalene yield monoethyl naphthalene, "tonsil" being the catalyst in each case. This subject-matter does not appear in the Specification as accepted.