Abstract: The present invention provides a process for the preparation of purified caprolactam comprising the steps of: (a) depolymerizing polyamide-containing carpet in the presence of steam to obtain crude caprolactam and steam; (b) condensing or distilling said crude caprolactam and steam to form aqueous crude caprolactam comprising at least ten percent by weight water; (c) removing substantially all floating oil from the aqueous crude caprolactam so as to form a substantially floating oil-free aqueous crude caprolactam; (d) removing substantially all of said water from said substantially floating oil-free aqueous crude caprolactam; (e) distilling the resulting concentrated crude caprolactam at a pressure of less than about 8 mmHg and a temperature from about 110° C. to about 145° C. so as to form overheads and bottoms of the caprolactam; and (f) crystallizing the caprolactam overheads to obtain caprolactam crystals and mother liquor.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for the preparation of purified caprolactam comprising the steps of:(a) depolymerizing polyamide-containing carpet in the presence of steam to obtain crude caprolactam and steam;(b) removing substantially all of said water from said crude caprolactam and steam(c) distilling the resulting concentrated crude caprolactam at a pressure of less than about 8 mmHg and a temperature from about 110.degree. C. to about 145.degree. C. so as to form overheads and bottoms of the caprolactam; and(d) crystallizing the caprolactam overheads to obtain caprolactam crystals and mother liquor.The resulting purified caprolactam may then be used to make polycaprolactam which may then be used in engineered materials or spun into fiber.

Abstract: A process for recovering monomer from multi-component waste material that includes a hydrolyzable polymer, includes contacting the multi-component waste material with water and subjecting the resulting mixture to heat and pressure to form a liquid aqueous portion and a water insoluble portion. The liquid aqueous portion mainly includes depolymerization products of the hydrolyzable polymer, and the water insoluble portion mainly includes components other than the depolymerization products. This mixture is cooled and the liquid aqueous portion and the water insoluble portion are separated. Monomer that formed the hydrolyzable polymer is recovered from the liquid aqueous solution.

Abstract: A process for the reduction of methylbenzofuran (MBF) impurities in phenol obtained from the decomposition product of cumene hydroperoxide requires treating the phenol to reduce the level of acetol, contacting the phenol containing a low level of acetol with an acid resin at sufficient temperature and residence time to reduce the level of MBF by conversion to higher boiling compounds, then distilling the phenol to separate phenol from higher boiling compounds. The phenol may be treated in known ways, such as by treatment with an amine, to reduce the level of acetol. The phenol containing a low level of acetol is contacted with a strong acid resin to reduce the level MBF.

Abstract: A process for separating phenol obtained by the decomposition of cumene hydroperoxide from high boiling impurities, includes the following steps:a) feeding phenol rectification bottoms comprising phenol, acetophenone, cumylphenol, alpha-methylstyrene dimers and high boiler residues to a first phenol freeing distillation column A;b) feeding concentrated bottoms with substantially reduced phenol content from column A to a second residue concentration distillation column B;c) withdrawing a stream rich in compounds boiling between phenol and residue, particularly cumylphenol, from said column B from a point below the feed and returning at least a portion of said stream to said column A at a point above the feed;d) recovering overheads from column A comprising at least 95 weight percent phenol; ande) recovering acetophenone-rich overheads from column B comprising at least 70 weight percent acetophenone.

Abstract: High purity phenol is obtained from cleavage of cumene hydroperoxide by treating the crude phenol product stream in a first treatment zone with an amine, a coarse distillation to obtain an overhead stream comprising phenol, alpha-methyl styrene, cumene, and impurities, and steam distillation of the overhead stream in combination with addition of an amine to the steam distillation column for a second amine treatment step.

Abstract: In a process for the production of hydroxylamine disulfonate diammonium salt (DS) comprising feeding an aqueous ammoniuum nitrite solution, SO.sub.2 gas and trim ammonia to a packed column to create a reaction mixture to produce DS; the improvement comprising controlling said process by measuring the pH of the DS product solution stream, comparing said pH with a pre-selected pH value, and adjusting for deviation of pH by adjusting the feed of nitrite solution and measuring the concentration of unreacted nitrite in the DS product solution stream, comparing said concentration with a pre-selected concentration value, and adjusting for deviation of said concentration by adjusting the feed of trim ammonia.

Abstract: In the production of hydroxylamine disulfonate diammonium salt (DS) comprising reacting ammonium nitrite with ammonium bisulfite and sulfur dioxide in an absorption reactor whereby emission gases comprising NO.sub.x, particularly NO, are released as a result of side reactions, the method of treating said emission gases to reduce the concentration of NO comprises adding NO.sub.2 to the emission gases and contacting the mixture of NO.sub.2 and emission gases with an aqueous alkali solution sufficiently to form nitrite and nitrate ions in said alkali solution.

Abstract: Crude phenol, containing AMS by-product, and MBF impurity, is distilled in the presence of water to separate MBF impurity.

Abstract: This invention is a method of purifying crude caprolactam. The improved method comprises taking a portion of a process stream of crude caprolactam having low boiling impurities and distilling the stream in the presence of water by fractional distillation into an overhead containing water and low boiling impurities and bottoms of caprolactam having improved purity and low water content.The improvement also comprises taking a low water content stream of crude caprolactam having low boiling impurities and adding water to the stream and distilling the stream by fractional distillation as described above.

Abstract: This invention is a process for purifying crude acetone obtained by cleavage of cumene hydroperoxide, said crude acetone containing aldehyde impurities and appreciable amounts of unreacted cumene, by fractionally distilling the acetone in a multiple plate distillation column, said process comprising: continuously feeding crude acetone; continuously feeding a dilute aqueous solution of an alkaline material at a point above the crude acetone feed point; and controlling the temperature profile of the column by adjusting the amount of liquid acetone removed in step (c) to maintain a preselected temperature on a plate in the region between the crude acetone feed point and the alkaline material feed point.

Abstract: This invention is a catalyst and method of oxidizing ammonia by contacting the ammonia and air with catalyst of cobalt oxide, wherein the improvement comprises using activated alumina in conjunction with the cobalt oxide catalyst.

Abstract: This invention is a method to recover caprolactam from a combined stream of mother liquor from a caprolactam crystallizer and other lactam containing aqueous streams, the improvement comprising steam distilling the combined stream at a temperature of from between about 180.degree. C. to 235.degree. C. in the absence of any depolymerization agent such as phosphoric acid; so that the residue from the steam distilling remains fluid; relatively low levels of caprolactam remain in the residue; less residue is generated; the recovered caprolactam has improved high quality; and losses of caprolactam due to side reactions are reduced.

Abstract: A process for preparing an improved cobalt oxide catalyst for ammonia oxidation comprising decomposing a cobalt compound such as basic cobalt carbonate by heating to form cobalt oxide, then saturating the cobalt oxide with cobalt nitrate solution and reheating to give an active, durable cobalt oxide catalyst. In ammonia oxidation processes, the durable catalyst of this invention has a long catalyst life and gives improved conversion of ammonia to nitric oxide. Additionally, the catalyst of this invention is capable of performing at higher operating rates than known catalysts. Optimum yields are obtained when the catalyst is prepared from compounds derived from electrolytic grade cobalt.

Abstract: This invention is the method to recover caprolactam from a concentrated nylon 6 chip wash water containing water, cyclic oligomer, and caprolactam. The method comprises feeding the concentrated wash water to a wiped-film evaporator operated at a temperature of from about 200.degree. C. to 300.degree. C. and a pressure from about 10 to about 250 Torr, thereby separating the wash water into (a) an overhead stream of water and caprolactam and (b) a bottom stream of caprolactam and cyclic oligomers, then recovering the caprolactam from the overhead stream. The caprolactam in the bottom stream can also be recovered, and the cyclic oligomers depolymerized to caprolactam for recovery.

Abstract: Ammonium nitrite is commercially produced by contacting a gaseous stream containing nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, nitrogen and oxygen with an aqueous solution containing a basically reacting ammonium compound in an absorption system. However, at normal production rates, serious problems have been encountered because of relatively low yield of ammonium nitrite and the emission of unreacted nitric oxide which causes pollution of the atmosphere. It has now been found that in situ generation of nitrogen dioxide in the absorption system by operating the absorption system under slight pressure greatly improves ammonium nitrite yield, reduces nitrogen oxide emission, reduces loss of ammonia as nitrogen and minimizes mist formation in the vent gas.

Abstract: A new composition has been found comprising an antistatic fiber selected from the group consisting of polyamide, polyester, polyurea, polyurethane, or polysulfonamide, said fiber containing between about one percent and about twelve percent by weight of at least one compound having a molecular weight above 1500 selected from the group consisting of compounds represented by the formulas: ##STR1## where R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 are independently selected from nonovalent hydrocarbon radicals having 1 to 20 carbon atoms derived from aliphatic, aromatic, cycloaliphatic, aromaticaliphatic, heterocyclic hydrocarbons or --(C.sub.r H.sub.2r O).sub.m (C.sub.p H.sub.2p O).sub.q --H; R.sub.5 is at least one of the alkylene difunctional radicals having 2 to 15 carbon atoms and a radical selected from ##STR2## R.sub.6, R.sub.7, R.sub.8 and R.sub.9 are independently selected from R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3, R.sub.4, H or another monovalent hydrocarbon radical having 1 to 20 carbon atoms as defined for R.sub.

Abstract: It has been suggested that antistatic properties of fibers of polyamide could be improved by uniformly dispersing in the polyamide between about 1 percent and about 12 percent by weight of a predominantly branched, chain-extended propylene oxide-ethylene oxide copolymer based on a diamine. However, with incorporation of this antistatic additive in the polyamide, serious problems have been encountered in melt-spinning due to the frequent occurrence of "nubs" or enlarged places in the extruded polyamide filament. It has now been found that the occurrence of said nubs in the antistatic polyamide fiber can be greatly reduced by dispersing in the polymer about 0.5 to 12% by weight, based on the weight of the antistatic agent, of a phenol compound represented by the formula: ##STR1## where n is 2 to 6.