Abstract:
Acrylonitrile is recovered from a gaseous mixture comprising acrylonitrile and ammonia by absorbing the mixture which is at a temperature of not less than 100 DEG F. in a solvent while maintaining the temperature of the solvent during the absorption step at a temperature below 75 DEG F., and subsequently removing the acrylonitrile from the solvent. The preferred solvent is water. The starting mixture may be obtained as the effluent gas from the catalytic reaction of ammonia, propylene and oxygen.
Abstract:
Acrylonitrile is prepared by reacting a mixture of propylene, ammonia and oxygen in the vapour phase in the presence of a bismuth, tin or antimony salt of molybdic or phosphomolybdic acid or bismuth phosphotungstate and in the presence of added hydrogen cyanide in amount 0.01-0.2, preferably about 0.1, moles per mole of propylene. Water may be present in the vapour phase reaction medium. Preferably at least part of the hydrogen cyanide separated from the reaction products is recycled. Specification 867,438 is referred to.