Abstract: This invention concerns organometallic amide compositions particularly bimetallic organoamides in liquid hydrocarbon solutions in which one metal is an alkali metal the other an alkaline earth metal, zinc or copper and particularly lithium magnesium bis-diorganoamides, such as lithium magnesium bis-diisopropylamide and processes for preparation of such amides. These novel bimetallic amides have increased solubility in liquid hydrocarbon solvents and improved thermal and precipitation stability at temperatures of 0.degree. C. to 40.degree. C.

Abstract: A process for producing organometallic compositions by reacting an organohalide with a mixture of two metals; one being an alkali metal, the other being selected from magnesium, calcium, barium and zinc in a hydrocarbon solvent containing 0.5 to 2.0 moles of a Lewis Base per mole of organohalide.

Abstract: A method for removing 99% of the sodium ions from a natural or industrial brine containing dissolved salts of metals of Group 1A of the periodic chart and in which brine sodium ions are not the predominant metal ions by contacting the brine at pH 11 to 12 with an ion exchanger selected from crystalline antimonic acid and polyantimonic acid, and removing from contact with the ion exchanger the brine with greater than 99% of the sodium ions removed.

Abstract: A method for removing 99% of the sodium ions from a natural or industrial brine containing dissolved salts of metals of Group 1A of the periodic chart and in which brine sodium ions are not the predominant metal ions by contacting the brine at pH 11 to 12 with an ion exchanger selected from crystalline antimonic acid and polyantimonic acid, and removing from contact with the ion exchanger the brine with greater than 99% of the sodium ions removed.

Abstract: A process for the substantial removal of calcium or other divalent ions from natural or industrial brines containing high levels of another ion comprising (a) adjusting the pH of the brine to an alkaline pH of 9 to 11 with an alkaline material; and (b) contacting the brine for at least 5 minutes with an ion exchanger consisting essentially of a hydrous oxide selected from hydrous oxides of zirconium, titanium, tin, molybdenum, tungsten, thorium, niobium or tantalum and mixed hydrous oxides of these aforementioned metals at a temperature between ambient and about the boiling point of the brine being treated.

Abstract: A process for producing an alcohol adducted or complexed hydrocarbon soluble magnesium chloride comprising reacting in a hydrocarbon medium a compound selected from magnesium metal, dialkyl magnesium, dialkoxy magnesium and alkoxy magnesium chloride with a dry hydrogen halide and a C.sub.1 to C.sub.10 chloro-alcohol or mixtures of chloro-alcohol and a C.sub.5 to C.sub.18 beta-alkyl substituted alcohol which may optionally contain some C.sub.1 to C.sub.20 primary unsubstituted monohydric alcohol.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for making hydrocarbyloxy magnesium halides by reacting in an inert atmosphere under anhydrous conditions activated magnesium metal with an oxygen containing compound of 1 to 20 carbon atoms and an anhydrous hydrogen halide to produce a hydrocarbyloxy magnesium halide.

Abstract: This invention concerns solid organometallic hydrocarbyloxymagnesium halides of the formula ROMgX wherein RO is a hydrocarbyloxy group of 1 to 20 carbon atoms and X is halide, and a two step process for making these halides comprising:(a) reacting an activated magnesium metal with an alkyl halide of the formula R'X, in which R' is compound containing 1 to 20 carbon atoms, in a dry inert hydrocarbon media, under a dry inert atmosphere to produce a compound of the formula R'MgX in which R' and X have the meanings ascribed to them herein; and,(b) and reacting the R'MgX compound with an oxygen containing compound, containing 1 to 20 carbon atoms, selected from the group consisting of alcohols, ketones, aldehydes and esters to produce the compound ROMgX.When the oxygen containing compound is 2-alkyl substituted, the products are hydrocarbon soluble.

Abstract: A process for the removal of lithium nitride from lithium metal by adding to liquid lithium metal containing lithium nitride, at a temperature between the melting point of lithium and 300.degree. C., with agitation, a stochiometric quantity of aluminum to react with the lithium nitride, in an inert, nitrogen free atmosphere, continuing the agitation for at least one hour to form aluminum nitride and separating the aluminum nitride from the liquid lithium metal.

Abstract: Stable liquid hydrocarbon-soluble novel magnesium dialkoxide compositions useful as or in the preparation of polymerization catalysts and initiators for the polymerization of alpha-olefins and diolefins are prepared, for instance, by reacting certain organomagnesium compounds in liquid hydrocarbon solvents with (a) aliphatic, cycloaliphatic or acyclic beta- and gamma-alkyl-substituted C.sub.5 -C.sub.18 monohydric secondary and tertiary alcohols; or (b) mixtures of (a) with beta- and/or gamma-alkyl-unsubstituted C.sub.3 -C.sub.18 aliphatic secondary or tertiary alcohols; or (c) mixtures of (a) with C.sub.1 -C.sub.18 aliphatic primary linear alcohols. Such dialkoxides, and complexes thereof, soluble in hydrocarbon or chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents, can be reacted with triorganoaluminum compounds such as, for instance, TIBAL, organolithium, or organopotassium compounds, e.g., alkyllithiums, or alkali metal alkoxides.

Abstract: A process for producing high purity lithium oxide comprising decomposing lithium peroxide at a temperature of 350.degree. to 450.degree. C., in an inert atmosphere in the substantial absence of water to produce impure lithium oxide followed by heating the impure lithium oxide under moderate vacuum at 900.degree. C. or more for at least one hour to obtain high purity lithium oxide of 99% or greater purity.

Abstract: An improved process is described for recovering lithium from evaporatively concentrated brines. Epsom salt recovered from the brine at about 0.degree. C. is added to the concentrated lithium-containing brine, so as to precipitate lithium sulfate monohydrate, the brine having previously been subjected to the sequential steps of two stage chilling, evaporative concentration, further chilling and vacuum evaporation.

Abstract: Stable alkali metal trialkylmagnesiate compositions are produced in high yields by simultaneously adding to a stirred dispersion of an alkali metal in an inert liquid hydrocarbon solvent a soluble dialkylmagnesium compound and an alkyl halide. By using a 2-alkyl substituted C.sub.4 -C.sub.18 primary alkyl chloride as the alkyl halide, alkali metal trialkylmagnesiates are produced which have excellent solubility, even at low temperatures, and good thermal stability over a wide range of temperatures. Moreover, the trialkylmagnesiates are soluble in liquid aliphatic or cycloaliphatic solvents in the absence of aromatic solvents or Lewis bases, which makes these compositions especially useful for certain applications, such as catalysts in anionic polymerization, where the presence of aromatic solvents or Lewis bases is undesirable.

Abstract: Stable liquid hydrocarbon-soluble novel magnesium dialkoxide compositions, and complexes thereof with, for example, n-alkyllithiums, organomagnesiums, and the like, useful as or in the preparation of polymerization catalysts and initiators for the polymerization of alpha-olefins and diolefins, which are prepared, for instance, by reacting certain organomagnesium compounds in liquid hydrocarbon solvents with (a) aliphatic 2-alkyl-substituted C.sub.4 -C.sub.12 monohydric primary alcohols, or (b) mixtures of (a) with 2-alkyl-substituted C.sub.3 -C.sub.12 aliphatic secondary or tertiary alcohols, or (c) mixtures of (a) with C.sub.1 -C.sub.12 aliphatic primary linear alcohols. Such dialkoxides and complexes thereof are commonly advantageously prepared in the presence of minor amounts of organoaluminum, organolithium or organopotassium compounds, e.g., trialkylaluminums, alkyllithiums or potassium dialkoxides. An illustrative example of the novel magnesium dialkoxides is 2-methyl-1-pentyloxide.

Abstract: The present invention provides a nonpyrophoric and thermally stable form of lithium diisopropylamide which is useful as a reagent in the preparation of pharmaceuticals and specialty chemicals. The preferred composition includes lithium diisopropylamide, a limited amount of tetrahydrofuran in an amount not exceeding one mole per mole of lithium diisopropylamide, and at least one C.sub.2 to C.sub.18 amine.

Abstract: Stable, hydrocarbon-soluble organobarium-, organocalcium-, and organostrontium-containing polymerization initiators are prepared by reacting certain calcium, barium or strontium alkoxides with organolithium, diorganomagnesium or triorganoaluminum compounds and combinations thereof. By way of illustration, the barium alkoxides soluble in hydrocarbon or chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents are prepared by reacting a suspension of barium amide in a hydrocarbon or a chlorinated hydrocarbon solvent with stoichiometric quantities of certain alcohols, alone or in the presence of chelating tertiary di- or polyamines. Alcohols suitable for the preparation of hydrocarbon- or chlorinated hydrocarbon-soluble barium alkoxides are C.sub.4 -C.sub.12 aliphatic and cycloaliphatic alcohols possessing alkyl branches at the one or two-positions, or mixtures of such alcohols. Other suitable alcohols are 2-alkoxy-1-alkanols and .gamma.-alkoxy-poly(ethyleneoxy)-1-ethanols.

Abstract: Hydrocarbon, especially aliphatic and/or cycloaliphatic hydrocarbon, solvent solutions of complexes of sec-butyllithium and ethyllithium, exemplified by (a) equimolar solutions of sec-butyllithium and ethyllithium in n-hexane or cyclohexane, (b) 35 mole % sec-butyllithium and 65 molar % ethyllithium in n-hexane or cyclohexane, and (c) 1 mole % sec-butyllithium and 3 mole % ethyllithium in n-hexane or cyclohexane. The thermal stability of the complexes of sec-butyllithium and ethyllithium in the solutions thereof in hydrocarbon solvents has been found to be outstanding. The hydrocarbon solvent solutions, especially where said solvents are aliphatic or cycloaliphatic, have marked advantages over conventionally used hydrocarbon solvent solutions of sec-butyllithium as catalysts or initiators in polymerization reactions, telomerization reactions, metalation reactions, halogen-metal interchange reactions, and in the preparation of magnesium alkyls and other organometallics.

Abstract: Hydrocarbon, especially aliphatic and/or cycloaliphatic hydrocarbon, solvent solutions of complexes of isopropyllithium and ethyllithium, exemplified by (a) equimolar solutions of isopropyllithium and ethyllithium in n-hexane or cyclohexane, and (b) 25 mole % isopropyllithium and 75 mole % ethyllithium in n-hexane or cyclohexane. The hydrocarbon solvent solutions of said complexes, especially where said solvents are aliphatic or cycloaliphatic, have various advantages over conventionally used hydrocarbon solvent solutions of isopropyllithium as catalysts or initiators in polymerization reactions, telomerization reactions, metalation reactions, halogen-metal interchange reactions, and in the preparation of magnesium alkyls and other organometallics.

Abstract: Hydrocarbon, especially aliphatic and/or cycloaliphatic hydrocarbon, solvent solutions of complexes of n-butyllithium and ethyllithium, exemplified by (a) equimolar solutions of n-butyllithium and ethyllithium in n-hexane or cyclohexane, (b) 36 molar % n-butyllithium and 64 mole % ethyllithium in n-hexane or cyclohexane, and (c) 25 mole % n-butyllithium and 75 mole % ethyllithium in n-hexane or cyclohexane. The thermal stability of the complexes of n-butyllithium and ethyllithium in the solutions thereof in hydrocarbon solvents has been found to be outstanding. The hydrocarbon solvent solutions of said complexes, especially where said solvents are aliphatic or cycloaliphatic, have marked advantages over conventionally used hydrocarbon solvent solutions of n-butyllithium as catalysts or initiators in polymerization reactions, telomerization reactions, metalation reactions, halogen-metal interchange reactions, and in the preparation of magnesium alkyls and other organometallics.

Abstract: A method of agglomerating materials such as lithium carbonate into pellets of a desired size utilizing water to achieve initial agglomeration of the particles comprising the materials. The initially formed pellets are subjected to drying to provide hard, easy-to-handle and package pellets, free of contaminating or unwanted binders such as starch.