An ethylene glycol route from synthesis gas
According to L. Kaplan (Union Carbide Corp.) at the 179th ACS National Meeting (Houston Mar. 1980), synthesis gas can be converted to ethylene glycol and methanol in equimolar amounts at 500-1000 atm and 200/sup 0/-280/sup 0/C over rhodium carbonyl catalysts and cocatalysts such as acetates or tertiary amines. The cocatalyst, with carbon monoxide and hydrogen, convert the rhodium carbonyls to active anionic forms. Solvents for the reaction must have a high dielectric constant, such as sulfolane, which has a dielectric constant of > 40, to ensure ion separation and to complex cations to prevent their pairing with the anionic active catalytic species. Reaction rates are highest in solvents consisting of a mixture of sulfolane and tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether. The most effective cocatalyst had large cations with diffuse positive charges, or have carboxylate anions that are strong conjugate bases. The same cocatalysts that generate active anionic sites apparently inhibit the reaction when present in greater-than-optimum amounts.
- Research Organization:
- Union Carbide Corp.
- OSTI ID:
- 6152822
- Journal Information:
- Chem. Eng. News; (United States), Journal Name: Chem. Eng. News; (United States) Vol. 58:15; ISSN CENEA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
10 SYNTHETIC FUELS
ACETATES
ALCOHOLS
AMINES
ANIONS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON MONOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CARBONYLS
CARBOXYLIC ACID SALTS
CATALYTIC EFFECTS
CATIONS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHARGED PARTICLES
CHEMICAL INDUSTRY
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
DIELECTRIC PROPERTIES
DISPERSIONS
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELEMENTS
ETHERS
FLUIDS
GASES
GLYCOLS
HIGH PRESSURE
HIGH TEMPERATURE
HYDROGEN
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
INDUSTRY
INHIBITION
IONS
KINETICS
METALS
METHANOL
MIXTURES
NONMETALS
OPTIMIZATION
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLATINUM METALS
REACTION KINETICS
RHODIUM
SOLVENTS
SYNTHESIS
SYNTHESIS GAS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS