Abstract: The present invention relates especially to a composition for manufacturing an article comprising one or more superposed layers each less than 5 centimeters thick, comprising a hydraulic binder and at least one compound chosen from an organic compound comprising at least two hydrophilic functions and a hydrophobic chain, and a polyamide oligomer. The use of these additives in the presence of hydraulic binder allows the manufacture of articles and coatings with good protection against water uptake, satisfactory water resistance and good mechanical properties such as breaking strength.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an expandable polyamide composition and to a polyamide foam obtained therefrom. This composition comprises a compound comprising at least one isocyanate function, a polyamide and a compound comprising at least one carboxylic acid function. The invention also relates to a process for preparing a polyamide foam from this composition.

Abstract: Pearls based on expanded polymers are produced by extruding an expandable composition containing a thermoplastic polymer and an expanding agent, and thereafter cooling and chopping the expanded material thus obtained.

Abstract: A method and a plant are disclosed for purifying lactams, particularly lactams obtained by cyclizing hydrolysis of aminonitrile. The purification of ?-caprolactam obtained by cyclizing hydrolysis of aminocapronitrile is described which includes eliminating the ammonia from the reaction medium of the hydrolysis, then recovering the lactam from the medium in purified form. The recovery is carried out by performing at least a distillation of the lactam in the presence of a base producing optionally a fronts fraction having compounds more volatile than the lactam, a fraction having the lactam to be recovered to the degree of desired purity and a distillation tails having the lactam and compounds less volatile than the lactam. The distillation tails are treated by various processes such as evaporation in thin layers to recover the major part of the caprolactam and recycling the latter in the purification process.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the manufacture of nitrile compounds from unsaturated organic compounds by reaction with hydrogen cyanide. It relates more particularly to the manufacture of nitrile compounds of use in the synthesis of adiponitrile, an important chemical intermediate in the manufacture of major chemical compounds, such as hexamethylenediamine and ?-caprolactam. The invention provides a process for the manufacture of organic compounds comprising at least one nitrile functional group by carrying out a hydrocyanation reaction between hydrogen cyanide and an organic compound comprising at least one ethylenic unsaturation. This reaction is carried out in the presence of a catalytic system comprising a metal element chosen from the group consisting of nickel, platinum and palladium and an organophosphorus ligand, the reaction medium additionally comprising an ionic liquid in the liquid state at least at the temperature at which the hydrocyanation reaction is carried out.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for producing carboxylic acids. It relates more particularly to a process for producing carboxylic acids by oxidation of a hydrocarbon with oxygen or a gas containing oxygen, and even more particularly to the oxidation of cyclohexane to adipic acid. The invention relates to a process for producing carboxylic acids by oxidation with oxygen or a gas containing oxygen of a cycloaliphatic hydrocarbon in the presence of an oxidation catalyst and of a monocarboxylic oxidation solvent that is lipophilic in nature, comprising a step of extraction of the dicarboxylic acids formed in the oxidation step, consisting in carrying out, in liquid phase, an extraction of the diacids using water.

Abstract: Spherical polyamide particles having a mean particle size of less than 1 mm, notably less than 100 ?m, are produced by dispersing the polyamide monomers in an inert liquid and then polymerizing same.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the oxidation with oxygen, or a gas containing it, of hydrocarbons to the corresponding carboxylic acids, alcohols and/or ketones or of alcohols and/or ketones to the corresponding carboxylic acids. More specifically, the invention consists of a process for oxidizing hydrocarbon, alcohol and/or ketone using oxygen or a gas containing it, in a liquid phase and in the presence of a catalyst dissolved in the reaction medium, characterized in that the catalyst comprises at least one soluble manganese and/or cobalt compound, at least one soluble chromium compound and at least one soluble iron compound.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the manufacture of nitrile compounds from unsaturated organic compounds by reaction with hydrogen cyanide. It relates more particularly to the manufacture of nitrile compounds of use in the synthesis of adiponitrile, an important chemical intermediate in the manufacture of major chemical compounds, such as hexamethylenediamine and ?-caprolactam. The invention provides a process for the manufacture of organic compounds comprising at least one nitrile functional group by carrying out a hydrocyanation reaction between hydrogen cyanide and an organic compound comprising at least one ethylenic unsaturation. This reaction is carried out in the presence of a catalytic system comprising a metal element chosen from the group consisting of nickel, platinum and palladium and an organophosphorus ligand, the reaction medium additionally comprising an ionic liquid in the liquid state at least at the temperature at which the hydrocyanation reaction is carried out.

Abstract: This invention relates to a coil comprising a first helical tube segment (511) and a second helical tube segment (512, 513) extending, parallel to the first helical segment (511), between a distributor (53) and a manifold (54), said first and second helical segments (511, 512, 513) being centred on a common geometrical axis (X5), with substantially the same bending radius (R1) and nested, such that they form together a globally cylindrical bundle (51). The method comprises a step which consists in interleaving the helical tube segments (511-513) so as to form a globally cylindrical bundle. The invention also concerns a reactor equipped with such a coil which can be used for treating a viscous medium or for carrying out chemical reactions, such as 6-6 polyamide polymerization.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a process for hydrocyanating ethylenically unsaturated organic compounds to compounds containing at least one nitrile function. It relates more particularly to the hydrocyanation of diolefins such as butadiene or of substituted olefins such as alkenenitriles, for instance pentenenitriles. According to the process of the invention the reaction is implemented in the presence of a metal complex catalyst comprising a transition metal such as nickel and an organic ligand.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the oxidation of hydrocarbons, in particular of branched or unbranched saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons, of cycloaliphatic or alkylaromatic hydrocarbons or of alcohols and/or ketones, to acid or polyacid compounds. It relates more particularly to the oxidation, by an oxidizing agent comprising molecular oxygen, of cyclohexane and/or of cyclohexanol and/or cyclohexanone to adipic acid, in the presence of an aromatic organic acid and a manganese-based catalyst. The yield and selectivity for adipic acid are of a high level with respect to those obtained with other solvents and catalysts.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the manufacture and separation of dinitrile compounds. It relates more particularly to a process for the manufacture and separation of dinitrile compounds from a medium originating from the hydrocyanation of unsaturated mononitriles. The invention consists in feeding the medium comprising the dinitriles to a distillation column and then recovering the purified dinitriles as intermediate fraction, the heavy products being removed as column tail fraction and the light products, including the unsaturated mononitriles, being recovered as top fraction.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for hydrocyanating a hydrocarbon-based compound containing at least one ethylenic unsaturation by reaction in liquid medium with hydrogen cyanide in the presence of a catalyst comprising a metal element chosen from transition metals and an organophosphorus ligand, characterized in that the organophosphorus ligand is a monodentate organophosphorus compound. The present invention is in particular useful for the synthesis of adiponitrile from butadiene.

Abstract: A process for the hydrogenation of compounds comprising nitrile or nitro functional groups to amine, aminonitrile or aminonitro compounds is provided. The process can be a continuous process conducted in the presence of a heterogeneous hydrogenation catalyst in divided form and a basic compound. The reaction can be conducted in a stirred reactor comprising an external loop for circulating the reaction mixture, allowing one portion of the hydrogenated products to be separated without withdrawing the catalyst, by using tangential filtration. The process may be especially useful in the hydrogenation of adiponitrile to an aminocapronitrile/hexamethylenediamine mixture.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a process for hydrocyanating ethylenically unsaturated organic compounds to compounds containing at least one nitrile function. It relates more particularly to the hydrocyanation of diolefins such as butadiene or of substituted olefins such as alkenenitriles, for instance pentenenitriles. According to the process of the invention the reaction is implemented in the presence of a metal complex catalyst comprising a transition metal such as nickel and an organic ligand.

Abstract: A method and a plant are disclosed for purifying lactams, particularly lactams obtained by cyclizing hydrolysis of aminonitrile. The purification of ?-caprolactam obtained by cyclizing hydrolysis of aminocapronitrile is described which includes eliminating the ammonia from the reaction medium of the hydrolysis, then recovering the lactam from said medium in purified form. The recovery is carried out by performing at least a distillation of the lactam in the presence of a base producing optionally a fronts fraction comprising compounds more volatile than the lactam, a fraction comprising the lactam to be recovered to the degree of desired purity and a distillation tails comprising the lactam and compounds less volatile than the lactam. The distillation tails are treated by various processes such as evaporation in thin layers to recover the major part of the caprolactam and recycling the latter in the purification process.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for decomposing organic hydroperoxides in the presence of a catalyst. It provides a process for decomposing organic hydroperoxides in the presence of a catalyst into a mixture of alcohols and ketones, in which the catalyst comprises at least one ruthenium-based catalytically active metallic element incorporated into a solid support chosen from the group comprising metal oxides and carbon blacks, such as the carbon blacks obtained by the pyrolysis of organic compounds. The process of the invention is especially useful in the decomposition of important chemical intermediates such as cyclohexyl hydroperoxide.

Abstract: A method and a plant are disclosed for purifying lactams, particularly lactams obtained by cyclizing hydrolysis of aminonitrile. The purification of ?-caprolactam obtained by cyclizing hydrolysis of aminocapronitrile is described which includes eliminating the ammonia from the reaction medium of the hydrolysis, then recovering the lactam from said medium in purified form. The recovery is carried out by performing at least a distillation of the lactam in the presence of a base producing optionally a fronts fraction comprising compounds more volatile than the lactam, a fraction comprising the lactam to be recovered to the degree of desired purity and a distillation tails comprising the lactam and compounds less volatile than the lactam. The distillation tails are treated by various processes such as evaporation in thin layers to recover the major part of the caprolactam and recycling the latter in the purification process.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the hemihydrogenation of dinitriles to corresponding aminonitriles.