Abstract: One or more fluid streams are uniformly divided into two or more partial fluid streams in chemical apparatuses in a manner such that there is a reduced tendency to form deposits. Division of such stream(s) is achieved by using a distributor device that includes at least one plate having two or more openings which openings are rounded or chamfered on at least one side.

Abstract: An isocyanate is produced by: (a) reacting chlorine with carbon monoxide to form phosgene, (b) reacting the phosgene with an organic amine to form an isocyanate and hydrogen chloride, (c) separating the isocyanate and hydrogen chloride, (d) optionally, purifying the hydrogen chloride, (e) preparing an aqueous solution of the hydrogen chloride, (f) optionally, purifying the aqueous solution of hydrogen chloride, (g) subjecting the aqueous hydrogen chloride solution to electrochemical oxidation to form chlorine, and (h) returning at least a portion of the chlorine produced in (g) to (a).

Abstract: Isocyanates, preferably diisocyanates and polyisocyanates of the diphenylmethane series (MDI), are produced by reaction of amines dissolved in a solvent with phosgene in the same solvent to form the corresponding isocyanates. Hydrogen chloride and excess phosgene are subsequently removed from the reaction mixture to obtain a crude isocyanate-containing solution. Subsequently, the crude isocyanate-containing solution is separated by distillation into isocyanates and solvent. The solvent is recycled and used for the production of solutions of the amines and of phosgene. The solvent being recycled is treated to reduce the phosgene and diisocyanate contents before being used for the production of the solution of the amine.

Abstract: One or more fluid streams are uniformly divided into two or more partial fluid streams in chemical apparatuses in a manner such that there is a reduced tendency to form deposits. Division of such stream(s) is achieved by using a distributor device that includes at least one plate having two or more openings which openings are rounded or chamfered on at least one side.

Abstract: High boiling contaminants such as chloro-aromatic compounds are removed from a gas by compressing the gas containing the contaminant, cooling the compressed gas to reduce the temperature of the gas to at least 20° C. above the outlet temperature of a second cooling stage but above the freezing point of the highest melting compound in the first cooling stage, further cooling the gas in a second cooling stage to at least ?20° C., returning cooled gas from the second cooling stage to the first cooling stage, and recovering condensate streams which contain the contaminant compound from the first and second cooling stages. An apparatus suitable for carrying out this process is also disclosed. The process of the present invention is particularly useful for removing chloro-aromatic compounds from anhydrous hydrogen chloride gas.

Abstract: An isocyanate is produced by: (a) reacting chlorine with carbon monoxide to form phosgene, (b) reacting the phosgene with an organic amine to form an isocyanate and hydrogen chloride, (c) separating the isocyanate and hydrogen chloride, (d) optionally, purifying the hydrogen chloride, (e) preparing an aqueous solution of the hydrogen chloride, (f) optionally, purifying the aqueous solution of hydrogen chloride, (g) subjecting the aqueous hydrogen chloride solution to electrochemical oxidation to form chlorine, and (h) returning at least a portion of the chlorine produced in (g) to (a).

Abstract: 4,4?-diphenylmethane diisocyanate is produced at two different sites by a) reacting aniline and formaldehyde in the presence of an acid catalyst to produce a mixture of diamines and polyamines of the diphenylmethane series at a first production site, b) these diamines and polyamines are then reacted with phosgene to give the corresponding diisocyanates and polyisocyanates of the diphenylmethane series, which may optionally be separated by distillation to give a mixture of diisocyanates and polyisocyanates containing from 50 to 80 wt. % of 4,4?-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, from 1 to 12 wt. % of 2,4?- and/or 2,2?-diphenylmethane diisocyanate taken together, and from 10 to 45 wt.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the production of phosgene, in which chlorine and carbon monoxide are reacted in the presence of an activated charcoal catalyst in a shell-and-tube reactor which contains a plurality of reaction tubes and a coolant space surrounding the reaction tubes, in which a) cooling of the reaction tubes is from the outside through the coolant space with water by evaporative cooling, and b) operation of the reaction tubes is at a pressure above the pressure in the coolant space.

Abstract: The invention describes a stirring device made from a gassing stirrer and a liquid mixer or two liquid mixers, which are arranged on a shaft and each have a feed and at least one exit opening, wherein the exit openings of the gassing stirrer and of the liquid mixer or the liquid mixers are at a distance from one another, the ratio, a/d, of the distance, a, between the exit openings to the diameter, d, of the gassing stirrer or liquid mixer being 0.02 to 0.5 and the ratio, b/d, of the distance, b, between the outer edges to the diameter, d, of the gassing stirrer or liquid mixer being 0.01 to 0.4.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the production of mixtures of di- and polyamines of the diphenylmethane series (MDA) containing less than 1,000 ppm of water and less than 200 ppm of aniline by reaction of aniline and formaldehyde in the presence of acid catalysts and subsequent separation of the acid catalyst and subsequent distillative separation of water and aniline in an at least a two-stage distillation including a flash evaporation and subsequent cooling.

Abstract: Isocyanates, preferably diisocyanates and polyisocyanates of the diphenylmethane series (MDI), are produced by reaction of amines dissolved in a solvent with phosgene in the same solvent to form the corresponding isocyanates. Hydrogen chloride and excess phosgene are subsequently removed from the reaction mixture to obtain a crude isocyanate-containing solution. Subsequently, the crude isocyanate-containing solution is separated by distillation into isocyanates and solvent. The solvent is recycled and used for the production of solutions of the amines and of phosgene. The solvent being recycled is treated to reduce the phosgene and diisocyanate contents before being used for the production of the solution of the amine.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the production of mixtures of di- and polyamines of the diphenylmethane series (MDA) containing less than 1,000 ppm of water and less than 200 ppm of aniline by reaction of aniline and formaldehyde in the presence of acid catalysts and subsequent separation of the acid catalyst and subsequent distillative separation of water and aniline in an at least a two-stage distillation including a flash evaporation and subsequent cooling.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the production of 4,4?-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (4,4?-MDI) by acid-catalyzed condensation of aniline with formaldehyde, reaction of the mixtures of di- and polyamines obtained with phosgene to form the corresponding mixture of MDI isomers and homologues (di- and polyisocyanates of the diphenylmethane series) and subsequent separation of the mixture by distillation to form 4,4?-MDI and polymeric MDI.

Abstract: An isocyanate is produced by: (a) reacting chlorine with carbon monoxide to form phosgene, (b) reacting the phosgene with an organic amine to form an isocyanate and hydrogen chloride, (c) separating the isocyanate and hydrogen chloride, (d) optionally, purifying the hydrogen chloride, (e) preparing an aqueous solution of the hydrogen chloride, (f) optionally, purifying the aqueous solution of hydrogen chloride, (g) subjecting the aqueous hydrogen chloride solution to electrochemical oxidation to form chlorine, and (h) returning at least a portion of the chlorine produced in (g) to (a).

Abstract: Aromatic amines are produced from aromatic hydrocarbons by a) reacting the aromatic hydrocarbon(s) with a mixture of nitric acid and sulfuric acid to generate a two-phase reaction mixture, b) separating the reaction mixture into an aqueous acid phase and an organic phase containing the nitroaromatic compounds c) washing the organic phase to purify the nitroaromatic compound(s), d) hydrogenating the nitroaromatic compound(s) in the presence of a catalyst to produce the aromatic amine(s) and water of reaction, and e) separating the water of reaction formed in step d) from the aromatic amine(s), in which the water of reaction separated in step e) is used to wash the organic phase containing the nitroaromatic compounds in step c).

Abstract: Process for the purification of toluenediisocyanate from a crude distillation feed which includes toluenediisocyanate, an organic solvent and less than 2% by weight phosgene by separating the crude distillation feed in a dividing-wall distillation column into at least four product fractions P1–P4. P1 is a phosgene enriched low-boiler product, P2 is a solvent-enriched product, P3 is a high boiler enriched bottoms and P4 is a toluenediisocyanate product stream.

Abstract: Toluene diisocyanate is recovered from a crude distillation feed containing less than 2% by weight of phosgene by (a) fractionating the crude distillation feed containing less than 2% by weight of phosgene to remove the solvent and optionally the reaction residues to produce a crude toluene diisocyanate feed containing less than 20% by weight of solvent and (b) separating the crude toluene diisocyanate feed containing less than 20% by weight of solvent in a divided-wall distillation column into four product fractions P1–P4. P1 is a vapor phase low-boiler and solvent-enriched gas stream, P2 is a low-boiler and solvent-enriched product, P3 is a high boiler-enriched bottoms product containing toluene diisocyanate and P4 is a toluene diisocyanate product stream lean in low-boilers, high-boilers and reaction residues.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the production of phosgene, in which chlorine and carbon monoxide are reacted in the presence of an activated charcoal catalyst in a shell-and-tube reactor which contains a plurality of reaction tubes and a coolant space surrounding the reaction tubes, in which a) cooling of the reaction tubes is from the outside through the coolant space with water by evaporative cooling, and b) operation of the reaction tubes is at a pressure above the pressure in the coolant space.

Abstract: The invention describes a stirring device made from a gassing stirrer and a liquid mixer or two liquid mixers, which are arranged on a shaft and each have a feed and at least one exit opening, wherein the exit openings of the gassing stirrer and of the liquid mixer or the liquid mixers are at a distance from one another, the ratio, a/d, of the distance, a, between the exit openings to the diameter, d, of the gassing stirrer or liquid mixer being 0.02 to 0.5 and the ratio, b/d, of the distance, b, between the outer edges to the diameter, d, of the gassing stirrer or liquid mixer being 0.01 to 0.4.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the production of dinitrotoluene by the two-stage nitration of toluene. In the first stage of this process, toluene was reacted adiabatically with nitrating acid so that at least 90% of the toluene was reacted off and no more than 70% of the toluene formed dinitrotoluene. The resulting organic phase containing mononitrotoluene and the aqueous acid phase containing sulfuric acid were separated, and the aqueous acid phase containing sulfuric acid was concentrated by flash evaporation. The resulting concentrated sulfuric acid was recycled into the reaction in the first stage, and/or into the reaction in the second stage, and/or into the concentration in the second stage. In the second stage, the organic phase containing mononitrotoluene from the first stage was completely reacted isothermally with nitrating acid.