Conversion of mercaptans to disulfides with soluble cobalt catalyst system

Patent · Tue Oct 13 04:00:00 EDT 1987

OSTI ID:5761277

Mac Donell, G D; Kubicek, D H

A process is described for the conversion of a mercaptan to the corresponding disulfide which comprises contacting under oxidizing conditions (1) oxygen and (2) a reaction mixture consisting essentially of (a) the mercaptan and (b) a homogeneous catalyst system soluble in the reaction mixture the catalyst system consisting of a cobalt salt of a carboxylic acid, an alkali or alkaline earth metal hydroxide and an alkanol. A process is described for the oxidation of a mercaptan to a disulfide which comprises: contacting under oxidizing conditions (1) oxygen and (2) a reaction mixture consisting essentially of (1) a mercaptan and (b) a homogeneous catalyst system soluble in the reaction mixture the catalyst system consisting of a cobalt salt of a carboxylic acid, an alkali or alkaline earth metal hydroxide and an alkanol wherein the amount of cobalt employed is in the approximate range of from about 0.001 to about 1 weight percent based on the amount of mercaptan present and wherein the amount of hydroxide is in the approximate range of from about 0.01 weight percent to about 10 weight percent based on the amount of mercaptan present.

• Assignee: Phillips Petroleum Co., Bartlesville, OK
• Patent Number(s): US 4700004
• OSTI ID: 5761277
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400201* -- Chemical & Physicochemical Properties
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CATALYSTS
CATALYTIC EFFECTS
CHEMICAL REACTION YIELD
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COBALT
DISSOLUTION
DISULFIDES
ELEMENTS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXIDES
METALS
NONMETALS
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
OXIDATION
OXYGEN
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PRODUCTION
SOLUBILITY
THIOLS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
YIELDS