Catalysts and processes for the conversion of succinates to citraconates or itaconates

Abstract

Processes for producing citraconic anhydride and citraconic acid using porous materials with specific surface acidities and surface areas are described. The preferred catalyst is a porous gamma alumina. Itaconic acid is produced from citraconic acid. Itaconic acid is an intermediate to a variety of compounds including polymers.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(1) Field of the Invention

This invention comprises catalysts and a process to manufacture itaconic acid via condensation of succinic acid or its esters and formaldehyde. Components of the invention include the catalysts, which facilitate the condensation to form the intermediate citraconic anhydride, and the subsequent process steps for separation of citraconic anhydride from unreacted succinate, and conversion of citraconate to itaconate. The process facilitates the use of a number of formaldehyde and succinate substrates, and produces higher selectivity toward the desired products at lower cost than the prior art. Itaconic acid is a valuable monomer in the formulation of polymers because of its unique chemical properties, which derive primarily from the conjugation of its two carboxyl groups and its methylene group. The methylene group is able to take part in addition polymerization giving polymers with many free carboxyl groups that confer advantageous properties on the resulting polymer.

(2) Description of Related Art

Itaconic acid is currently produced commercially by the fermentation of glucose using Aspergillus Terreus . This fungal fermentation is carried out in batch processes, which require 8-10 days per batch. The fermentation requires dilute solutions (˜10 wt % glucose as a feed) and itaconate yields are on the order of 50-60% of theoretical. The current world market for itaconic acid is approximately 20 million lb/yr at a selling price of $2.00/lb. The only U.S. manufacturer at present is Cargill (Minneapolis, Minn.).

The catalytic route to itaconic acid has several distinct advantages over the current commercial fungal fermentation route. First, the rate of the catalytic reaction is several orders of magnitude faster than the biological reaction, so that the reactor vessel is smaller than the fermenter. Second, the difficulties involved with the fungal fermentation (product inhibition, sensitivity of microorganisms to process changes, etc.) are avoided. Third, separation and recovery costs should be lower via the catalytic route, so the expected production cost of itaconic acid is substantially lower than via fermentation.

There exist several patents in the literature which describe catalytic routes to citraconate or itaconate from succinates. U.S. Pat. No. 3,835,162 (Tate and Berg, assigned to Pfizer, Inc., 1974) describes catalysts and process conditions for reactions of succinic anhydride or succinate esters and formaldehyde (as trioxane or gaseous formaldehyde, in 3 to 5-fold excess) to citraconic anhydride. Yields as high as 70% were obtained for short periods of time in a microreactor consisting of a gas chromatography column packed with catalyst. The catalyst consisted of salts (thorium sulfate, potassium hydrogen phosphate, lithium phosphate, and others) supported on a lower surface area alumina (30-40 m 2 /g); catalyst deactivation was observed at extended reaction times. A crude method for recovery of itaconate was described.

Another prior process for producing itaconate from succinate is described in two Japanese patents (JP 49101326 and JP 49101327, Shimizui and Fujii, assigned to Denki Kagaku Kogyo K.K., 1974). Silica-alumina compounds, including zeolitic materials, both with and without the addition of salts such as copper chloride, zinc chloride, or lanthanum chloride, were used as catalysts. In all studies, formaldehyde (as Formalin or trioxane) was used as the limiting reagent. Yields of citraconate plus itaconate up to 75% of theoretical based on formaldehyde were obtained, but yields based on succinate fed were no greater than 32%. These patents gave no information regarding a process for the conversion to itaconate, and there is no mention of the problem of catalyst deactivation or recycling of the succinate stream.

Sakai (Bull. Chem. Soc. Japan 49 219 (1976)) has further investigated the isomerization of citraconic acid to itaconic acid, and achieved yields of 65% itaconic acid. Sakai makes no mention of a recycle step or the reisomerization of byproducts back to citraconic acid. The conversion of citramalic acid, one of the byproducts of citraconic acid isomerization, back to citraconic acid has been reported by Berg (U.S. Pat. No. 3,960,901 to Pfizer (1976)).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of citraconic anhydride which comprises: contacting a molar excess of an aqueous solution of formaldehyde, gaseous formaldehyde or trioxane in a solvent with at least one compound from the group consisting of succinic anhydride and di-lower alkyl esters of succinic acid in vapor phase at a temperature from about 320° to 440° C., at a pressure from about 20 to 400 psi, at a Weight Hourly Space Velocity (WHSV) from about 0.3 to 4 kg succinate/hr*kg catalyst in the presence of a catalyst consisting of a porous material having a surface area between about 30 m 2 /g and 700 m 2 /g, surface acid site density from about 66 to 2350 micromole/g, surface base site density from about 0 to 500 micromole/g and acid strength (pK a ) of about +3 to −3 until reaction is substantially complete and recovering from the reaction products the citraconic anhydride thereby produced, said lower alkyl having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms. The citraconic anhydride is hydrolyzed and isomerized to itaconic acid in an aqueous solution.

The present invention particularly relates to a process for the preparation of itaconic acid from citraconic acid which comprises:

(a) isomerizing citraconic acid to itaconic acid in an aqueous solution at a first temperature of about 140° C. to 200° C., which produces citramalic acid and mesaconic acid as by-products;

(b) crystallizing and separating the itaconic acid from the aqueous solution by cooling to a temperature between about 20° to 25° C.; and

(c) heating the aqueous solution from step (b) to a temperature of 200° to 300° C. in the presence of a catalyst to convert any of the itaconic acid remaining in the aqueous solution and the by-products in the aqueous solution to citraconic acid;

(d) recycling the citraconic acid solution of step (c) to step (a).

The present invention is superior to that of the Pfizer patent (U.S. Pat. No. 3,835,162) in several ways. First, it requires only a metal oxide such as alumina in order to obtain good yields. This catalyst is more stable than the salt-impregnated alumina described in the Pfizer patent, especially during the catalyst regeneration step (an integral part of the process). Second, it has been demonstrated that Formalin™ (37% formaldehyde in water) and Formcel™ (55% formaldehyde in methanol/water) can be used instead of trioxane or gaseous formaldehyde. Both of these alternate formaldehyde sources are readily available commercially, whereas trioxane or gaseous formaldehyde are not. Third, the present invention includes an improved process for forming and purifying itaconic acid. Finally, it is has been demonstrated by this invention that a continuous flow reaction system is much closer to a commercially viable process concept than the micro-reactor system used in the Pfizer patent.

The present invention provides a more complete process for converting succinate to itaconate than the Japanese patents, including a succinate recycle step, catalyst regeneration, and recovery and purification of itaconic acid. Formcel is a viable formaldehyde source in addition to Formalin. The porous material catalyst is generally aluminum based and has particular characteristics as defined above. It has a mildly acidic and basic surface.

The present invention also relates to a process for the preparation of formaldehyde, citraconic acid and succinic acid which comprises:

(a) reacting a molar excess of formaldehyde with dimethyl succinate in vapor phase with a catalyst, the catalyst consisting of a porous material having a surface area between about 30 m 2 /g and 700 m 2 /g, surface acid site density from about 66 to 2350 micromole/g, surface base site density from about 0 to 500 micromole/g and acid strength (pKa) of about +3 to −3 until reaction is substantially complete and recovering from the reaction products the citraconic anhydride thereby produced, said lower alkyl having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms at a temperature of 320° to 440° C. at a pressure of about 20 to 400 psi;

(b) hydrolyzing the citraconic anhydride to citraconic acid and the dimethyl succinate to succinic acid at elevated temperatures in water so that the methanol is distilled from the reaction mixture;

(c) oxidizing the methanol from step (b) to produce formaldehyde; and

(d) separating the citraconic acid and succinic acid from the reaction mixture.

In summary, the present invention is a new route for itaconic acid formation from succinates. It encompasses a complete process for the conversion which includes catalysts and reaction conditions for efficient conversion.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention uses preferred alumina based solid particles which are substantially free of other metals. The particles are calcined and have an acid strength pK a between about −3 and 3 and a surface area of at least about 100 m 2 /g. Included in the preferred materials are gamma alumina and calcined aluminum phosphate. Gamma alumina is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,015,485 to Shukis et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,166,121 to Khare et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,032,379 to Pedersen; U.S. Pat. No. 4,301,033 to Takumi et al; U.S. Pat. No. 4,235,756 to Slaugh; U.S. Pat. No. 4,016,106 to Sawyer et al; U.S. Pat. No. 3,835,162 to Tate et al.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a graph showing the yield of citraconic anhydride at various temperatures using a porous gamma alumina catalyst (SA3177).

FIG. 2 is a graph showing the conversion of dimethylsuccinate to citraconic anhydride using the porous gamma alumina catalyst (SA3177) of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 3 is a graph showing the results of an extended continuous run (17 hours) using the porous gamma alumina (SA3177) of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 4 is a graph showing the yield of citraconic anhydride (CAN) from different magnesium-aluminum oxides as a function of time.

FIG. 5 is a graph showing the percentage conversion of dimethylsuccinate (DMS) with different magnesium-aluminum oxides.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the reactions in the process of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic of a process for producing itaconate.

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of the commercially available vapor phase reactor 10 .

FIG. 9 is a schematic view of the reactor 10 converted for the vapor phase reaction.

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an improved scheme for producing formaldehyde.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Feed Materials

Several different forms of succinate were used as feedstocks in these investigations. Dimethyl succinate (DMS) was used in most reactions. Diethyl succinate (DES) was used briefly but led to complications in analysis because it transesterified to methyl ethyl succinate in the presence of methanol formed from formaldehyde during reaction. Succinic anhydride was used in a series of reactions, both in its neat form and dissolved into methanol to form monomethyl succinate.

Formaldehyde was used in one of three forms Initially, 1,3,5 trioxane, the trimeric form of formaldehyde, was used because of its ease in handling. In more recent studies, formalin, a commercially available source containing 37 wt % formaldehyde and 10% methanol in water was used. Another solution consisting of 55% formaldehyde, 35% methanol, and 10% water was used. Other sources of formaldehyde, such as pure, gaseous formaldehyde obtained from decomposition of paraformaldehyde, could also be used for the reaction.

Catalysts and Catalyst Preparation

A number of catalyst materials have proven effective for the condensation of succinates and formaldehyde to citraconic and itaconic acids. These catalysts consist of metal oxide ceramics with weak Lewis acid and base surface sites that appear critical for efficiently catalyzing the condensation between succinates and formaldehyde. In prior art, such materials have been used as support materials for catalysts consisting of metal salts impregnated onto the ceramic. Such salt-impregnated catalysts were made in this study and no advantage was found in adding the salt. In contrast, the best yields were obtained when the support metal oxide alone is used. The ceramic metal oxide catalysts used were obtained from commercial venders or have been prepared.

Several types of commercial aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ) were obtained from Norton Chemical Process Product Corporation (Akron, Ohio) for use as catalysts. These include the Norton materials specified as SA 3132, SA 3177, SA 6175 and SA 6173. These alumina materials were ground to −30+60 mesh and calcined for 12 hours at 500° C. overnight before loading into the reactor. Zirconia supports manufactured by MEI, Inc. (Flemington, N.J.) were also evaluated; this zirconia had about 15 wt % alumina as a binder. Magnesium oxide and iron oxide (Aldrich Chemical Co., Milwaukee, Wis.) were also tested. Properties of these catalyst materials are given in Table 1 hereafter.

A number of metal oxides were prepared and evaluated as catalysts for the condensation reaction. These include alumina, titania, aluminum phosphates, and hydrotalcites (MgO/Al 2 O 3 compounds). Properties of these materials are also given in Table 1.

Typical preparation procedures for these materials are given in the following paragraphs:

Aluminum oxide: Aluminum oxide was prepared by dissolving 60 g of aluminum chloride in 800 ml of water. The pH of initial solution was about 2.2. The solution was filtered to remove any suspended impurities and then precipitated with 100 ml of 25% ammonia solution to a pH of 9. The precipitate was aged overnight, filtered, and washed free of chloride ions. The residue was dried overnight in an oven at 110° C. and then calcined at 400° C. for 3 hours. The weight of calcined catalyst was 16.75 g.

Titanium oxide: Titania was prepared from titanium (IV) butoxide by dissolving it in water and acidifying it with HNO 3 until a clear solution was obtained. Thus, 63 g of titanium butoxide was dissolved in 500 ml water and acidified with 60 ml HNO 3 . The initial pH of the solution was 0.66. This solution was precipitated with ammonia until pH 7.0. The residue was washed with water and dried at 110° C. overnight and calcined at 400° C. for 3 hours. The final weight of catalyst after calcination was 15.95 g.

Preparation of alumina-magnesia cocatalyts: Al—Mg oxide cocatalysts were prepared from gels produced by mixing two solutions according to the procedure described by Corma et al. (Corma, A., Fornes, V., Rey, F. J. Catal. 148 205-212 (1994)). Solution A was prepared by mixing MgCl 2 and AlCl 3 to a concentration of 1.5 M in Al+Mg with Mg/(Al+Mg) atomic ratios either 0.25, 0.5, or 0.75. Solution B was prepared by dissolving Na 2 CO 3 to a concentration of 1M and adding NaOH to get a pH of 13. Solution B was added to solution A under vigorous stirring for a period of 2 to 3 hours. The gels were aged overnight, filtered, washed free from Cl − , and calcined at 450° C. in air for 6 hours to get Mg—Al mixed oxides of the stated ratios.

For example, a catalyst preparation with Mg/(Al+Mg)=0.25 involved dissolution of 1.78 g of MgCl 2 and 14.30 g of AlCl 3 in 60 ml water. In solution B, 5.6 g of Na 2 CO 3 and 3.5 g of NaOH was dissolved in 50 ml water to make a solution that was 0.1 M in Na 2 CO 3 at pH 13. The latter solution was mixed into the former over a period of 2 hours, wherein a gel was obtained and the final pH was 10. The gel was aged overnight and washed with deionized water until the residual filtrate was free of Cl − ions. The residue was dried overnight and calcined at 450° C. for 6 hours. The weight of the final catalyst was 3.6 g. A similar procedure was followed for preparing catalysts with Mg/(Al+Mg) atomic ratios 0.5 and 0.75.

A different method was followed for the preparation of magnesia-alumina co-catalysts with low quantities of magnesia. Mg—Al mixed oxides with Mg/(Mg+Al) ratios of 0.005, 0.01, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.1 and 0.12 were prepared using aqueous solutions of aluminum nitrate and magnesium chloride and coprecipitated with NH 3 . The residue was filtered and washed free from chloride and later calcined in air at 350° C. As an example, a magnesia-alumina co-catalyst with a Mg/(Mg+Al) ratio of 0.02 was prepared by dissolving 110.3 g of aluminum nitrate and 0.63 gm of magnesium chloride in 800 ml water. The initial pH of the solution was 1.8. The solution was precipitated with 25% ammonia over a period of 2 hours until a pH of 9.0 was attained. This required about 85 ml of ammonia. The gel was aged overnight, washed free from chloride, dried at 100° C. overnight, and calcined at 350° C. for 3 hours. The weight of the final catalyst after calcination was 15.50 g. A similar procedure was followed while preparing catalysts with Mg/(Mg+Al) ratios of 0.005, 0.01, 0.04, 0.06, 0.1 and 0.12. The molarity of the precipitating solution was maintained constant when catalysts with varying Mg content were prepared.

Aluminum phosphates: Aluminum phosphates (ALPO) were prepared by the method followed by Rebenstorf et al (Rebenstorf, B., Lindbald, T., Anderson, K. J. Catal. 128 293-302 (1991)). The precursors for the preparation of ALPO were Al(NO 3 ) 3 and (NH 4 ) 2 HPO 4 . P/Al ratios of 0.5, 0.8, 1.0 and 1.5 were prepared by dissolving the precursors in water and acidifying the solution with HNO 3 until the solution was clear and then precipitating it with ammonia until a pH of 5 was attained. The resultant residue was filtered, washed with water, dried at 120° C. overnight, and calcined at 400° C. for 3 hours. As an example, an ALPO with P/Al ratio of 0.5 was prepared by dissolving 75 g of aluminum nitrate nonahydrate and 11.5 g of ammonium hydrogen phosphate in 800 ml of water. Acidifying the solution with nitric acid dissolved any insoluble white residue that was formed during the process. About 22 ml nitric acid was required for dissolving the precipitate. The pH of this solution was 0.5. This solution was precipitated with 49 ml ammonia (25%) until pH 5. The final residue was washed with 4 liters of water, dried in an oven at 110° C. overnight, and calcined at 400° C. for 3 hours.

Supported salt catalysts: Several supported catalysts were prepared by the incipient wetness method. A salt solution of predetermined concentration, in an amount just sufficient to fill the pores and wet the outside of the particle, was introduced into the support. The wetted support oxide was then dried slowly to properly crystallize the salt on the support surface. The dry mixture was then calcined in a furnace at 450° C. for 4 to 5 hours. The supported salts include Ce(SO 4 ) 3 , ZnCl 2 , KH 2 PO 4 , LaCl 3 , Li 2 CO 3 , K 2 CO 3 and KOH. The quantities of these salts on the support oxides varied; specific loadings are given in the Results.

Apparatus

A fixed bed reactor system ( FIG. 9 ) has been designed and constructed to operate continuously at a temperature range of 300-500° C. and at pressures up to 500 psi. An Autoclave Engineers (Erie, Pa.) cone closure tubing reactor vessel 10 (Part #CC.985SS20), made of 316 stainless steel, was used as the reactor vessel 10 (FIG. 8 ). The length, outer diameter, and internal diameter of the reactor vessel 10 are 102 mm, 19.1 mm, and 11.1 mm, respectively. The nominal capacity of the reactor is 9.85 milliliters. The catalyst was held in the reactor by a quartz frit fitted into a 5 mm long by 10-mm OD quartz tube. The reactor vessel 10 was heated by clamshell heaters controlled by an Omega series CN-2010 programmable temperature controller. The surface temperature of the reactor 10 was used as the control thermocouple.

Feeds for the reaction were held in burettes and were introduced into the reactor vessel 10 using one or two Bio-Rad (Hercules, Calif.) Soft-Start HPLC Pumps P 1 and P 2 (FIG. 9 ). The choice of liquid feeds dictates the feed arrangement used. If Formalin is used with succinic acid esters as feedstocks, then each reactant is pumped by a separate Bio-Rad pump P 1 or P 2 . If trioxane, which is soluble in diethyl succinate and dimethyl succinate, was used as a formaldehyde source, then the feeds were combined and only a single pump is used. In this case, the feed line was heated to 70° C. using heating tapes and a variable autotransformer to prevent solidification of trioxane. In all cases, the 60 cm of feed tubing just before the reactor vessel 10 inlet was heated at 250° C. using heating tape. Helium was used as a carrier gas in most experiments to aid in vaporization of feeds and to sweep the vaporized feed into the reactor.

Reactor effluent exits the reactor via a heat-traced tube N 3 and enters a 6-port valve VV (Valco, Inc., Houston, Tex.); this valve directs products to one of two product collection traps C 1 or C 2 consisting of 25 ml Stainless Steel sample cylinders immersed in water. The reactor outlet tube N 3 and 6-port valve VV are maintained at 200° C. using 0.5 inch heating tape to keep product in the vapor phase above the traps C 1 and C 2 . Riken (Japan) Infrared Gas Analyzers M 2 and M 3 are used to analyze carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide concentrations in the exiting gas. The exiting gas flow rate is controlled by a metering valve R 1 and measured using a soap bubble meter M 1 .

Operating Procedure and Conditions

A desired quantity of precalcined catalyst material (usually 5.0 g) was added through the top of the reactor vessel 10 . After the reactor vessel 10 was sealed, helium was fed into the reactor to the desired pressure using the cylinder regulator V 1 . The reactor vessel 10 tubing was then heated to the desired temperature and allowed to stabilize for one hour. Liquid feed(s) were then pumped into the reactor at the desired flow rate. Liquid flow rate was set with the digital meter in the pump, but actual flow rate was calculated by measuring the differential volume of liquid fed from the burette over time. The product was collected in the product traps C 1 and C 2 for 15-30 minute intervals once steady state conditions were achieved; products were removed at the end of the collection period for analysis. Upon completion of a run at a specified set of conditions, either new conditions (temperature, pressure, flow rate) were established or the liquid feeds were shut off and the reactor vessel 10 was cooled under helium. The catalyst was removed and weighed at the end of the run.

The reaction conditions that were used included temperatures from 320 to 450° C. with a preferred range of 350-380° C., pressure from 40 to 400 psi, with a preferred value of 60 psig, liquid flow rate of 0.1 to 0.5 ml/min and a succinate:formaldehyde ratio of 1:0.5 to 1:4. The “base case” conditions for the experiments conducted are 60 psig (0.5 Mpa absolute), a total liquid flow rate of 0.12 ml/min, a gas flow rate of 25 ml (STP)/min, a catalyst quantity of 5.0 g, a succinate:formaldehyde ratio of 1:2, and a temperature of 380° C. At these conditions, the weight hourly space velocity (WHSV) is 0.6 kg succinate/kg catalyst/hr.

Product Analysis

High-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography (GC) were used to identify and separate the reaction products. For HPLC, a Bio-Rad HPX-87H organic acid column was used with an UV detector and a RI detector in a series for the product identification using oxalic acid as an internal standard. A solution of 20% acetonitrile and 5 mM sulfuric acid in water served as the mobile phase. GC analysis was performed using a sample injected into an intermediate capillary column of diameter 0.53 mm and length of 30 m (SPB-1, Supelco, Bellefonte, Pa.). The column was installed in a Varian 3300 GC (Sunnyvale, Calif.) with flame ionization detector and helium as a carrier gas. Methyl lactate was used as an internal standard. Product identification was conducted by matching residence times in GC and HPLC, and by combined gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC/MS) in a separate instrument. Product yields were obtained by using peak areas of product species and response factors obtained from standard solutions. Results were placed in a spreadsheet to facilitate ready calculation of yield, selectivity, and conversion, and an overall carbon balance on the system was performed.

Results

Catalytic Conversion of Succinate to Citraconate

The properties of the catalysts obtained from commercial sources or prepared by the methods described above have been characterized for their surface area and acid/base properties. Total surface area measurements were conducted by nitrogen adsorption according to the standard BET method. Acid site concentration and strength on the catalyst surface was measured by temperature programmed desorption (TPD) of ammonia using a Micromeritics Chemisorb 2700. Base site concentration was determined by TPD of carbon dioxide in the same instrument. Acid site strength and base site strength were further characterized by adsorption of Hammett indicators in dry benzene. Results of these characterization measurements are given in Table 1 hereinafter for the catalysts used.

Results of citraconic anhydride formation from succinate and formaldehyde presented here represent the most promising catalysts and conditions for the reaction. Over 150 experiments have been performed, with many experiments giving only a few percent conversion to citraconic anhydride. In the results, yield of citraconic anhydride or acid is defined as a percent of theoretical, or [moles of total citraconate formed/mole succinate fed to the reactor] multiplied by 100. Conversion is the fractional conversion of succinate in the reactor, [(moles succinate fed−moles succinate out)/moles succinate fed]. Selectivity is defined as [moles of total citraconate formed/mole succinate converted]. The conversion of dimethyl succinate to monomethyl succinate and succinic acid is not considered part of “succinate conversion”, because these species are recycled along with unreacted dimethyl succinate in the process. Finally, a balance on total succinate carbon is done for the experiment as a measure of the quality of the experiment. Results are reported as the percentage of initial succinate carbon recovered in the product mixture.

Most generally, the raw product exiting the reactor is a mixture of citraconic anhydride, citraconic acid, monomethyl citraconate, and dimethyl citraconate. Analysis of all of these compounds is difficult as several of the products co-elute with monomethyl or dimethyl succinate. To clearly evaluate product yields and selectivity, it is necessary to hydrolyze the product mix in aqueous H 2 SO 4 solution to recover all species as the free acid. Unless otherwise noted, all yields and selectivities are based on the hydrolyzed products. Usually, about 20% of the citraconate is in the form of monomethyl or dimethyl ester, so reported yields for unhydrolyzed mixtures are lower than the actual values.

The rate of formation of citraconic anhydride in the reactor declines after several hours on line as the catalyst cokes and thus deactivates. It appears that coking involves both the succinate species and formaldehyde. The rate of coking is high early in the reaction according to weight gain of the catalyst taken at different times during reaction. The production of CO and CO 2 is also very high early in the reaction, and then declines to a small value after about 30 min. The extent of coking is less when Formalin is used as the formaldehyde source, because water passing through the reactor steam cleans the catalyst. In some of the results, yield is reported as a function of reaction time to illustrate this deactivation. In other experiments, only the maximum yields achieved are reported.

The effect of temperature on citraconic anhydride yield (unhydrolyzed results) and dimethyl succinate conversion is given in FIGS. 1 and 2 . The values (unhydrolyzed results) are also given in Table 2. In this experiment, all conditions are at the base-case values except temperature. Trioxane dissolved into DMS was used as the formaldehyde source. The catalyst used was Norton alumina SA3177. Citraconic anhydride yields are clearly highest at 380° C.; at temperatures above 380° C. secondary reactions and competing reactions, especially the Canizzaro reaction of formaldehyde, predominate over the desired condensation. At lower temperatures the conversion is lower (FIG. 2 ). It is worth noting that selectivity to citraconic anhydride is highest at 350° C. The only side products produced are CO and CO 2 ; other than that dimethyl succinate is only converted to monomethyl succinate and succinic acid, both of which can be recovered in the process.

The full time scale of catalyst deactivation is shown in an extended time experiment in FIG. 3 and in more detail in Table 3, again at base-case conditions. Trioxane and DMS are feed materials, and Norton SA3177 alumina is used as catalyst. It is clear that conversion of succinate and yield of citraconate (hydrolyzed results) decay over the 16 hour run. Selectivity in this run, however, is consistently high at between 70 and 80%. The carbon recovery ranges from 80% to 95%, indicating that the experiments are of good quality. It is noteworthy that the deficit in carbon recovery results in lower yields and selectivities; if all carbon were accounted for the values of yield and selectivity reported can only increase.

Upon deactivation, the alumina catalyst can be regenerated by exposure to air at 500° C. for several hours or until no CO 2 is evolved. The yields of citraconic anhydride are virtually identical before and after the regeneration process, as seen in Table 4. These experiments demonstrate the robust nature of the oxide catalysts and their ability to be regenerated.

The use of succinic anhydride as a feed for the reaction has been investigated in detail. Results of a typical experiment are given in Table 5; reaction conditions are at base case values with trioxane as the formaldehyde source and Norton SA3177 as the catalyst. The feed, a molten mixture of succinic anhydride and trioxane, was maintained at 120° C. in a syringe pump before being fed to the reactor. The yield of citraconate following hydrolysis is as high as 43% of theoretical, with selectivity ranging from 50-70% except at the very beginning and end of the experiment. The yield of CO 2 is significantly higher using succinic anhydride than with dimethyl succinate, resulting in lower selectivities. The only other succinate formed is monomethyl succinate (MMS), resulting from the reaction of succinic anhydride with methanol formed from formaldehyde via the Canizzaro reaction.

In a second set of experiments, succinic anhydride was mixed with methanol and trioxane to make a feed mix of monomethyl succinate and trioxane. Reaction temperature was 350° C. for this reaction, the flow rate was 0.3 ml/min and the catalyst was again Norton SA3177. Results are given in Table 6; succinate conversion is lower with this feed mixture and conditions but selectivity is better at 75-80%. Thus, succinic anhydride is a good feed material for the reaction, as the highest yields of citraconate were achieved with very good selectivities. In the laboratory, reactions are somewhat more difficult to conduct with succinic anhydride, because it has a very high boiling point (269° C.) and solidifies on encountering a cold spot or surface. This led to frequent plugging of reactor tubes and collection traps during experiment. On a commercial scale, the properties of succinic anhydride should pose less of a problem.

The use of Formalin, a mix of 37 wt % formaldehyde, 10 wt % methanol, and 53 wt % water as a formaldehyde source is demonstrated in Table 7. This reaction was conducted at base case conditions using Norton SA3177 alumina as a catalyst. Selectivity of 60% is achieved with a citraconate yield of 26-28%. Two advantages of using Formalin are apparent: first, the decay in catalyst activity is much slower with Formalin; yield only drops off very slowly over time for reaction times out to 5 hours. Second, the gain in catalyst weight due to coking is much less with Formalin, likely because the water present steam cleans the catalyst during reaction.

The use of Formcel, a mix of 55 wt % formaldehyde, 35 wt % methanol, and 10 wt % water is demonstrated in Table 8. Results similar to those obtained with Formalin are obtained, with low CO 2 yield and selectivity as high as 70%. More monomethyl succinate was formed than with Formalin, however, a consequence of the higher methanol content in the feed.

The above reactions were all conducted using Norton SA3177 alumina as the catalyst in the reactor. This material was found early on to be the best material for the reaction, and most of the studies were completed with it as the catalyst. Other materials have been tested: Table 9 gives the yield of citraconic anhydride (unhydrolyzed results) over several other aluminas and ceramic oxide materials. All of these runs were conducted at the “best case” conditions. It is seen that the other Norton aluminas, alumina prepared, and aluminum phosphate (ALPO) are quite effective catalysts, nearly the same as Norton SA3177. The zirconia and zeolites are less effective. Experiments with iron oxides and magnesium oxide gave essentially no citraconic anhydride.

Compounds of MgO and Al 2 O 3 , are interesting catalysts for study because they can be prepared in different Mg:Al ratios to give different surface acidities. Results for a set of these magnesia-alumina cocatalysts prepared are given in FIGS. 4 and 5 . The measured acidity and basicity of the cocatalysts prepared are given in Table 1. As the Mg content of the material increases, the conversion of DMS and the yield and selectivity for citraconate formation decline. Yields for a Mg—Al cocatalyst containing 25% Mg gave essentially no citraconate; cocatalysts containing 0.5%, 1%, and 3% Mg gave the same results as the prepared alumina.

The results observed with magnesia-alumina cocatalysts are in accord with those of other catalysts regarding the surface acidity/basicity properties required for an active catalyst. First, active catalysts must have a significant concentration of mildly or weakly acidic surface sites. Strong acid sites only, such as those found on the Zeolite 13X, lead primarily to cracking of DMS to CO 2 . The second requirement is that the catalyst does not have a high concentration of strong basic sites. These strong basic sites catalyze the Cannizaro reaction of formaldehyde to form ultimately CO 2 and methanol, thus preventing formaldehyde from participating in the desired condensation.

Table 10 summarizes all of the runs to date with the catalyst of the present invention and other catalysts which were not effective.

TABLE 1
Properties of catalysts used for catalytic condensation
			Acid	Acid site	Basic site
		S. A.	Strength	density	density
S.N.	Catalyst	(m 2 /g)	(pk a )	(mmol/g)	(mmol/g)
1	AlPO, P/Al ratio
A	0.5	150	−0.2 to −3.2	0.582	—
B	0.8	137	−0.2 to −3.2	1.220	—
C	1.0	156	−0.2 to −3.2	2.345	—
D	1.5	76	−0.2 to −3.2	1.810	—
2	Alumina, MSU	173	+1.1 to −0.2	0.671	0.150
3	Alumina, Norton
A	SA3132	32	—	—	—
B	SA3177	107	+1.1 to −0.2	0.250	0.050
C	SA6173	220	—	—	—
D	SA6175	236	−0.2 to −3.2	—	0.091
4	Hydrotalcites,
	% Mg
A	0.5	163	+2.4 to −1.2	0.608	0.157
B	1	178	+2.4 to −1.2	0.646	0.161
C	2	150	+2.4 to −1.2	0.782	0.220
D	4	174	+2.4 to −1.2	1.020	0.195
E	6	176	+2.4 to −1.2	0.676	0.141
F	10	—	—	—	—
G	12	171	+2.4 to −1.1	0.704	0.260
H	25		—	—	—
I	75	143	+2.4 to −1.1	—	—
5	Iron oxide	—	—	—	—
6	Magnesia	0.77	>+4.8	0	0.196
7	Titania	45	+2.4	0.122	0.007
8	Zirconia, MEI Inc	62	+2.4	0.066	0.068
9	Zirconia, MSU	—	—	—	—
Notes:
1 Surface areas determined by nitrogen BET.
2 Acid strengths determined by titration with Hammett indicators.
3 Acid and basic site densities determined by ammonia and carbon dioxide temperature programmed desorption (TPD).

TABLE 2
Yield of citraconic anhydride and conversion
of DMS at various temperatures
(Results before hydrolysis) a
	Yield of citraconic
Elapsed	anhydride (%)
Time	@	@	@	Conversion of DMS (%)
(min)	350° C.	380° C.	410° C.	@350° C.	@380° C.	@410° C.
30	11.0	16.9	3.6	78.2	72.0	97.1
60	14.6	18.9	8.1	50.6	76.4	93.7
90	15.7	20.8	9.8	33.6	75.6	92.4
120	12.2	18.5	9.7	25.1	73.8	92.4
150	12.0	19.0	13.4	24.0	55.3	89.1
180	11.8	18.3	9.8	23.8	58.3	92.1
210		17.4			55.8
240		14.2			43.2
270		12.1			42.2
300		13.5			46.8
330		12.1			40.8
a Reaction Pressure = 60 psi; feed = DMS + 1,3,5-trioxane (TO); liquid feed flow rate = 0.10 ml/min; molar ratio = 2/3 to 1 (TO to DMS)

TABLE 3
Results from Extended Run (17 hrs) a
		Conver-
Elapsed	Yield of	sion of		Yield of	Carbon
Time	Citraconates	Succinates	Selectivity b	CO 2	Recovered c
(min)	(%)	(%)	(%)	(%)	(%)
90	32.8	45.6	71.9	21.1	85.5
120	30.0	40.2	74.6	22.6	89.1
150	26.0	36.6	71.0	15.4	84.6
180	23.0	30.1	76.4	9.9	81.0
210	22.2	29.0	76.6	10.2	78.0
300	19.6	24.7	79.4	8.1	78.0
420	17.6	20.7	85.0	7.5	95.0
540	7.5	15.5	48.4	8.5	82.0
750	6.0	6.5	92.3	4.8	92.3
960	3.6	7.3	49.3	4.5	87.0
a Reaction temperature = 380° C.; pressure = 60 psi; feed = DMS + 1,3,5-trioxane (TO) liquid feed flow rate = 0.10 ml/min; molar ratio = 2/3 to 1 (TO to DMS)
b Selectivity of Citraconates = Yield of Citraconates * 100/(Conv of DMS − Yield of SA − Yield of MMS)
c Carbon recovered (%) = 100 − (moles of C in − moles of C out) * 100/moles of C in

TABLE 4
Yield of citraconic anhydride a before
and after the regeneration b of catalyst
Elapsed	Yield of Citraconic	Yield of	Conversion of DMS
Time	Anhydride (%)	CO 2 (%)	(%)
(min)	Before	After	Before	After	Before	After
30	14	10	11	12	77	74
60	13	13	5	5	57	62
90	11	11	8	8	60	63
120	11	11	4	3	54	60
150	11	11	6	6	58	60
180	11	12	4	3	56	53
210	11	11	5	3	50	54
a Reaction temperature = 380° C.; pressure = 60 psi; feed = DMS + Formalin; liquid feed flow rate = 0.20 ml/min; molar ratio = 0.5 to 1 (formaldehyde to DMS)
b The catalyst was regenerated by flowing air through the reactor for 6 hrs at 500° C..

TABLE 5
Citraconic Acid from Succinic Anhydride a
	Yield of	Yield of	Yield of	Conversion of		Carbon
Elapsed	Citraconic	MMS	CO 2	Succinic	Selectivity b	Recovered c
Time (min)	Acid (%)	(%)	(%)	Anhydride (%)	(%)	(%)
30	25	3	42	84	31	70
60	43	6	33	80	58	87
90	43	6	24	75	62	81
120	29	7	24	41	71	93
150	18	6	20	63	32	67
a Reaction temperature = 380° C.; pressure = 60 psi; feed = Succinic Anhydride + 1,3,5-trioxane (TO); liquid feed flow rate = 0.10 ml/min; molar ratio = 2/3 to 1 (TO to Succinic Anhydride)
b Selectivity of Citraconic Acid = Yield of Citraconic Acid * 100/(Conv of SAn − Yield of MMS)
Carbon recovered (%) = 100 − (moles of C in − moles of C out) * 100/moles of C in

TABLE 6
Citraconates from MMS a (Results after hydrolysis)
Elapsed	Yield of		Conversion
Time	citraconates	Yield of	of succinates	Selectivity b
(min)	(%)	CO2 (%)	(%)	(%)
30	25	15	50	50.0
60	31	15	40	77.5
90	25	5	33	75.8
a Reaction temperature = 350° C.; pressure = 60 psi; feed = 34 wt % MMS (succinic anhydride was dissolved in excess of methanol) + 51 wt % methanol + 15 wt % 1,3,5-trioxane (TO); liquid feed flow rate = 0.30 ml/min; molar ratio = 2/3 to 1 (TO to MMS)
b Selectivity of Citraconates = Yield of Citraconates * 100/(Conv of MMS − Yield of DMS − Yield of SA)

TABLE 7
Citraconates from DMS and Formalin a (Results after hydrolysis)
Elapsed	Yield of		Conversion
Time	Citraconates	Yield of	of Succinates	Selectivity b
(min)	(%)	CO2 (%)	(%)	(%)
60	26	7	43	61
90	28	10	50	56
180	26	4	46	57
240	25	6	42	60
a Reaction temperature = 380° C.; pressure = 60 psi; feed = 47 wt % DMS + 6 wt % methanol + 20 wt % formaldehyde + 27 wt % water; liquid feed flow rate = 0.15 ml/min; molar ratio = 2 to 1 (formaldehyde to DMS)
b Selectivity of Citraconates = Yield of Citraconates * 100/(Conv of DMS − Yield of SA − Yield of MMS)

TABLE 8
Citraconates from DMS and Formcel a (Results after hydrolysis)
Elapsed	Yield of		Conversion
Time	Citraconates	Yield of	of Succinates	Selectivity b
(min)	(%)	CO2 (%)	(%)	(%)
60	34	10	56	61
150	22	6	54	41
180	25	4	35	71
270	20	4	44	46
a Reaction temperature = 380° C.; pressure = 60 psi; feed = 56 wt % DMS +15 wt % methanol + 24 wt % formaldehyde + 4 wt % water; liquid feed flow rate = 0.15 ml/min; molar ratio = 2 to 1 (formaldehyde to DMS)
b Selectivity of Citraconates = Yield of Citraconates * 100/(Conv of DMS − Yield of SA − Yield of MMS)

TABLE 9
Results from supports other than
SA3177 a,b (Results before hydrolysis)
		Yield of
		citraconic	Conv of DMS	Yield of CO2
Run#	Supports	anhydride (%)	(%)	(%)
41 c	Zeolite	6	84	70
68	Zirconia	4	33	10
70	SA6173	18	45	13
73	Alumina (lab)	18	56	18
77	SA6175	16	71	30
80	AlPO	17	52	10
a Reaction temperature = 380° C.; pressure = 60 psi; feed = DMS + 1,3,5-trioxane (TO); liquid feed flow rate = 0.1 ml/min; molar ratio = 2/3 to 1 (TO to DMS).
b Results from a sample with maximum yield of citraconic anhydride is included here among several sample collected.
c Reaction temperature = 410° C.; pressure = 60 psi; feed = DES + 1,3,5-trioxane (TO); liquid feed flow rate = 0.1 ml/min; molar ratio = 2/3 to 1 (TO to DES); zeolite was impregnated with 5 mM cerium (IV) sulfate.

TABLE 10
1. Summary of results
Run#	cat, support loading	Feed	Temp	Pres	Conv %	Yield %	C	Comments
1	CPG-3000	DMS + TO(1:4)	335-350	365	—	—	=	Reactor outlet plugged after 3 samples,
								not much rxn
2	CPG-3000	DMS	330-370(20)	300	—	—	+	No rxn
3	1 KH2PO4 CPG-3000	DMS	350-450(25)	400
4	1 KH2PO4 CPG-3000	DMS + TO(1:4.6)	350-500(30)	490	44.	25(500)	+	First successful rxn, Two unknown
								peaks in HPLC
5	1 KH2PO4 CPG-3000	DMS + TO(1:4.6)	400	290	—	—	=	Reactor outlet plugged
								rightaway because of Trioxane
6	1 KH2PO4 CPG-3000	DMS + TO(1:4.6)	400	290	—	—	=	Reactor outlet plugged rightaway
7	1 KH2PO4 CPG-3000	DMS + TO(1:4)	400-430	300	40	.2(430)	=	Two samples collected, solid
								white stuff in tubing after sample trap
8	1 KH2PO4 CPG-3000	DMS	400-500(25)	480	49(500)	—	+	Losing some DMS at high temp
9	1 KH2PO4 CPG-3000	TO + Methanol	350-500	490	—	—	−	Losing 50% of feed, TO not analyzed
10	1 KH2PO4 CPG-3000	DES	350-500(30)	400	69(500)	—	+
11	2 KH2PO4 CPG-3000	DES + TO(1:5)	350	400	—	—	=	Unsuccessful run, outlet blocked
15	CPG-3000	—	350-450(50)	325	—	—	=	No feed, only helium was flown
								through to see DMSO
								vaporization in trap
16	CPG-3000	DES	350-500(50)	350	74(500)	—	=	Prod collected in DMSO
17	CPG-3000	DES	280-380(25)	350	32(380)	—	=
18	CPG-3000	DES	305-430(25)	350	40(430)	—	=	Outlet gas was flown through liq N2 to
								trap CO2 or CO(nothing trapped)
19	2 KH2PO4 CPG-3000	DES + TO(1:4)	350-470(30)	370	55(470)	0.8	+
20	2 KH2PO4 CPG-3000	DES + TO(1:4)	350-440(30)	375			+
21	2 KH2PO4 CPG-500	DES + TO(1:4)	350-440(30)	375			+
22	2 KH2PO4 CPG-500	DES + TO(1:4)	350-440(30)	375	70	.8(440)	+	Try high surfacearea CPG next time
23	2 KH2PO4 CPG-75	DES + TO(1:4)	350-410(30)	375	48	.4(440)	+	CPG is not good support, Bye CPG
24	1 Li2CO3 SA3132	DES + TO(1:4)	350-440(30)	375	—	—	+	No conversion of DES and no CA yield
25	1 Li2CO3 SA3132	DES + TO(1:4)	380	280	—	—	+	No conversion of DES and no CA yield
26	.25 Ce3 Sulfate SA3132	DES + TO(1:4.6)	380	300	25	5.4	+	products collected in DMSO
27	.25 Ce3 Sulfate SA3132	DES + TO(1:1.5)	380	300	42	4.5	+	yield slightly decreased with
								decreasing molar ratio of feed
28	SA3132	DES + TO(1:2)	320-410(30)	300	31	3.2(410)	+	Yield of CA increases with temp
								but also decreases with time
29	SA3132	DES	350-410(30)	350	10	—	−	Not much conversion of DES observed
30	SA3132	DES + CA(4:1)	350-410(30)	350	20	—	+	No conversion of CA @ low temp,
								but ˜30% conv @ 410
31	0.53 CeSulfate SA3132	DES + TO(1:2)	380-410(30)	350	62(410)	3.8	−	Highest yield so far
32	0.53 CeSulfate SA3132	DES + TO(2:1)	380-410(30)	350	58	3.6(410)	−	Large unknown peak @21 in UV
33	0.53 CeSulfate SA3132	DES + TO(1:4)	380-440(30)	350	55	4.8(410)	=	high CO & CO2, low
								CA and bad mass balance at high temp
34	0.39 CeSulfate SA3132	DES + TO(1:2)	380-410(30)	60	50	5.6(380)	−	First rxn in new lab with new setup(eldex
								pump & valco valve in outlet), outlet
								dogged in beginning
35	0.39 CeSulfate SA3132	DES + TO(1:2)	380-440(30)	60	50	6.9(380)	=	large unknown peak @21 in UV, Feed treated
								with CaSO4 and cat calcined
36	0.5 LaCl3 SA3132	DES + TO(1:2)	380-410(30)	60	26	1(380)	=	Feed treated with CaSO4 ,
								high CO2 during first collection
37	0.5 CeSulfate SA3132	DES + TO(1:2)	350-380(30)	60	—	—	−	short circuited heating
								tape could not collect samples
38	0.5 CeSulfate SA3132	DES + TO(1:2)	410-470(30)	60	50	7(410)	+	Unknown peak area decreased
								and MEC peak area increased after 5 days,
								large peak of DEC in esterified product
39	0.5 CeSulfate SA3132	DES + TO(2:1)	410	60	52	7.8	+	15.5% yield on the basis of
								formaldehyde(limiting reactant), low CO 2
40	0.5 CeSulfate SA3132	DES	410	60	—	—	−	outlet was blocked by SA,
								could not collect sample nicely
41	0.5 CeSulfate Zeolite-x	DES + TO(1:2)	410	60	84	6.7	+	Only water in first sample
42	0.5 CeSulfate Zeolite-x	DES + TO(1:2)	410	60	—	—	+	to confirm water in first sample
43	0.5 CeSulfate Zeolite-x	DES + TO(1:2)	350	60	—	—	+	rxn carried out at low
								temp to see activity of Zeolite,
								but lot of CO2 (>50%)
44	Zeolite-x	DES	350	60	—	—	+	More than 50% CO2 with only DES and
								only Zeolite, Zeolite too active
45	2 KH2PO4 SA3132	DES + TO(1:2)	380	60	10	0.4	+	KH2PO4 not suitable for this rxn
46	0.5 CeSulfate SA3132	DES + TO(1:2)	380	60	53	7.8	−	Rxn carried out to see
								reproducibility of results
47	0.5 CeSulfate SA3132	DES + form(1:3)	380	60	50	5.2	−	Two pumps to feed DES & formalin,
								feed preheated from now on
48	0.5 CeSulfate SA3132	DES + form(1:2)	380	60	51	6.7	=	Sod sulfite used to collect any
								formaldehyde (0.30%) in outlet
49	NdCl3 LaCl3 Zeolite-x	DES + form(1:2)	380	60	—	—	+	Ion exchanged cat, first sample
								water, second two phase, high CO 2
50	0.5 CeSulfate Carbon	DES + form(1:2)	380	60	—	0	+	Activated carbon not active for this rxn
51	0.5 CeSulfate SA3177	DES + form(1:2)	410	60	64	16.8	+	MMC peak area increases with time
52	0.5 CeSulfate SA3177	DES + form(1:2)	410	60	87	17.2	+	Same cat(R51) used after regeneration
								(flowing air at 410 C for 6 hrs)
53	0.5 CeSulfate SA3177	DMS +	410	60	75	22.5	+	7% yield of MMC, CO2 decreases as
		form(1:1.3)						product yield increases, High selectivity
54	0.5 CeSulfate SA3177	DMS +	380	60	74	9.3	+	yield of CA decreases with the temp
		form(1:1.3)
55	0.75 CeSulfate SA3177	DMS +	380	60	87	12.2	+	Yield increases with the loading
		form(1:1.3)
56	SA3177	DMS +	380	60	80	27	+	7.3% yield of MMC, low CO 2
		form(1:1.3)
57	SA6175	DMS +	380	60	—	—	=	Could not complete the experiment
		form(1:1.3)
58	SA6175	DMS +	380	60	92	15.5	+	>50% co2 observed and yield
		form(1:1.3)						increases as conversion decreases with time.
59	SA6173	DMS +	380	60	94	15.3	+	>50% CO2 observed in a couple of collections.
		form(1:1.3)
60	25:75::Al:Mg	DMS +	380	60	83	0.65	+	preferentially catalyses the
		form(1:1.3)						cannizaro's reaction of form to MeOH
61	SA3177	DMS + form(1:4)	380	60	55	19.5	+	Reactor temp accidentally want up 1200,
								prods analyzed only by R1,
								to confirm the yield
62	SA3177	Formalin	380	60	—	—	+	100% conversion of formaldehyde observed
63	SA3177	Formalin	380	60	—	—	+	Previous experiment's result confirmed
64	SA3177	DMS	380	60	48	—	+
65	SA3177	DMS + TO (1:2)	380	60	49	20.5	+	Yield goes upto 35% after hydrolysing
								the product, MMC & DMC confirmed
66	SA3177	DMS + TO (1:2)	410	60	89	14	+	Yield decreases,
								conv increases,
								and CO2 increases with temp
67	SA3177	DMS + TO (1:2)	350	60	33	16	+	Low yield, but high selectivity
68	Zirconia	DMS + TO (1:2)	380	60	33	3.7	+	Zirconia is not sufficient active for the rxn
69	Fe2O3	DMS + TO (1:2)	380	60	35	0	+	High yield of CO2 with no CA
70	SA6173	DMS + TO (1:2)	380	60	45	18	+	Lot of CO2 in beginning, selectivity
								increases with time
71	SA3177	DMS + TO (1:2)	380	60	55	19	+	Yield goes upto 30% after
								hydrolysing the product
72	TiO2	DMS + TO (1:2)	380	60	72	0	+	No citraconates
73	Alumina(lab)	DMS + TO (1:2)	380	60	56	18	+	Alumina prepared in lab also gives
								similar results to alundum
74	SA6173	DMS + TO (1:2)	350	60	—	—	+	Experiment could not completed
75	SA6173	DMS + TO (1:2)	350	60	36	15.5	+	Low yield,but high selectivity
76	SA3177	DMS + TO (1:2)	380	400	53	20	+	Low CO2 observed,
								but same catalyst wt gain after the rxn
77	SA6175	DMS + TO (1:2)	380	60	71	16.3	+	Lot of CO2 in beginning,
								selectivity increases with time
78	SA3177	DMS + TO (2:1)	380	60	48	12	+	24% yield of CA based on formaldehyde
79	SA3177	DMS + TO (1:2)	380	400	50	18.5	+	Run76 results confirmed,
								almost same results as at low P
80	AlPO	DMS + TO (1:2)	380	60	52	17.3	+	AlPO was prepared in lab,
								now AlPO can compete with Alndm
81	85% ZrO2 + 15% Al2O3	DMS + TO (1:2)	380	60	34	6	+	Run68(prprd in lab) results
								confirmed with this MieChem ZrO2
82	TiO2	DMS + TO (1:2)	380	60	71	0	+	Run72(prprd in lab) results
								confirmed with this Degusa titania
83	Fe2O3	DMS + TO (1:2)	380	60	40	0	+	Run69(prprd in lab) results
								confirmed with this
								Aldrich Fe2O3
84	90:10:: Al : Mg	DMS + TO(1:2)	380	60	80	1	+	Nothing much different from high
								content of Mg(Run60)
85	85% ZrO2 + 15% Al2O3	DMS	380	60	20	—	+	No significant reaction with only DMS
86	glass beads	DMS	380	60	0	0	=	No reaction observed
87	KOH on SA3177	DMS + TO(1:2)	380	60	40	0	+	0.28 mmol KOH (more than acid sites)
								killed reaction completely
88	AlPO	DMS + TO(1:2)	380	60	50	15	+	AlPO prepared differently (from R80),
								but almost same result
89	K2CO3 on SA3177	DMS + TO(1:2)	380	60	70	0	+	High conv in beginning,
								but decreasing sharply; no CA
90	Zeolite-x	DMS + TO(1:2)	380	60	60	0	+	Convs(93, 60, 26, 16, 11) % after
								30 mins, NO CA
91	SA3177	DMS + TO(1:2)	380	60	43	32	+	Extended run; results after hydrolysis,
								catalyst stable for 6 hrs
92	SA3177	SAn + TO(1:5)	380	60	—	—	=	First rxn with SAN, pumped 30 ml in
								20 min (pumps stupidity(not mine))
93	SA3177	SAn + TO(1:5)	380	60	80	34	+	First successful run with SAN,
								but with struggle; not bad yield
94	SA3177	SAn + TO(1:5)	380	60	70	40	+	Cat deactivates faster with SAN;
								Paraformaldehyde a problem
95	SA3177	SAn + TO(1:2)	380	60	75	43	+	Not bad results, but cat
								dies soon and some other known problmes
96	SA3177	SAn + TO( 1:2)	380	60	86	18	+	Some leakage in feed,
								obviously high conv and low yield
97	SA3177	SAn + TO(1:2)	380	60	73	42	+	Outlet gas flow rate increased
								55 from 27 ml/min; 2 samples collected
98	SA3177	SAn + TO(1:2)	380	60	60	42	+	Feed rate 10 from 6 ml/hr; 4 samples;
								nice results in beginning, but . . .
99	SA3177	SAn + TO(1:2)	380	60	—	—	+	High preheat 340 from ˜200 C.;
								reaction stopped because of plugging
100	SA3177	SAn + TO(1:2)	380	60	68	33	+	6 samples, 12% yield in 6th sample
101	glass beads	SAn + TO(1:2)	380	60	74	14	+	Lot of CO2 ; no MMS;
								unreacted TO and formaldehyde
102	glass beads	SAn + TO(1:2)	380	60	78	14	+	Results from R101 confirmed
103	Empty Reactor	SAn + TO(1:2)	380	60	0	0	=	No reaction means it is not a thermal rxn
104	Fe2O3	SAn + TO(1:2)	380	60	100	0	+	To see results from an inactive cat
								(our point of view)
105	Fe2O3	SAn + TO(1:2)	380	60	100	0	+	Results from R104 confirmed
106	SA3177	SAn + TO(1:2)	350	80	37	30	+	Very good results if we can reproduce;
								Yields(41, 30, 30 7, 19)%
107	SA3177	SAn + TO(1:2)	320	80	80	20	+	Preheat here and R106 200 C.; At low rxn
								T feed cracks more bcos not vaporized
108	SA3177	SAn + TO(1:2)	350	80	60	30	+	Outlet gas flow rate 82 from
								55 ml/min; same yield, but more conv
109	SA3177	SAn + TO(1:2)	350	80	71	37	+	Feed rate 6 from 10 ml/min; higher
								yield and higher conv
110	SA3177	SAn + TO(1:2)	350	80	85	20	+	Feed rate 10 from 6 ml/hr;
								Gas rate 55 ml/min;
								Longer reactor but furnace not long
113	SA3177	CAN	350	80	24	—	+	80% of CAN recovered;
								no other products
								(only CO2 and CAN)
114	SA3177	CAN	350	80	30	—	+	Product collection system new,
								but results same
115	SA3177	CAN	350	80	20	—	+	He and top of the furnace not heated, but same
								results
116	SA3177	SAn + TO(1:2)	350	80	76	39	+	Wanted to repeat R106,
								but high yield - high conv - low sel, 3 samples
117	SA3177	MMS + methanol	350	60	0	—	+	Methanol as a solvent from now;
								no rxn here; no cat deactivation
118	SA3177	MMS + TO	350	60	40	31	+	Good sel; 32% DMS; Results after
		(1:2) + me						hydrolysis; low cat wt gain
119	SA3177	MMS +	350	—	29	21	+	No He; lot of DMS
		TO
		(1:2) + me
120	SA3177	MMS +	350	—	29	22	+	No He; 45% DMS; good sel
		TO(1:2) + me
121	SA3177	MMS +	380	60	42	32	+	Results almost same as at 350 C.;
		TO(1:2) + me
122	SA3177	TO + methanol	350	60	100	—	+	Product gas only;
								I thought MTG process but Dr J says DME;
								ok he is right
123	SA3177	methanol	350	60	100	—	+	Not much in the trap,
								No cannizaro here so only water in trap
124	0.15 KH2PO4 SA3177	MMS +	350	60	85	5	+	Loading equivalent to acid sites,
		TO(1:2)+me						presence of base kills rxn
125	CPG-75	MMS +	350 & 400	60	90	0	+	No citraconates, but lot of
		TO(1:2) + me						DMS, No more CPGs from now
126	SA6175	MMS +	350	60	30	18	+	Results after hydrolysis;
		TO(1:2) + me						not great-similar to SA3177
127	98 Al + 2 Mg	DMS +	380	60	73	19	+	Lot of CO2,
		Form (1:2)						lot of methanol,
								25% CA & 42% conv after hydrolysis
128	SA3177	DMS +	380	60	80	26	+	Standard experiment, our optimal conditions
		Form (1:2)
129	SA3177	DMS +	380	60	77	26	+	CO2 as a carrier;
		Form (1:2)						Same result as with helium as a
								carrier gas
130	96 Al + 4 Mg	DMS +	380	60	73	17	+	Hydrotalcites (HT) very reactive in beginning,
		Form (1:2)						bad MB in first 2-3 samples
131	99 Al + 1 Mg	DMS +	380	60	75	20	+	Increasing Mg in HT increases methanol
		Form (1:2)
132	99.5 Al + 0.5 Mg	DMS +	380	60	89	23	+	CA conversion increases with decreasing
		Form (1:2)						Mg in HT
133	Alumina(lab)	DMS +	380	60	81	23	+	Increasing Mg in HT increases CO2 also
		Form (1:2)
134	Beads	DMS +	380	60	15	0	+	Some MMS and SA in beginning,
		Form (1:2)						no CA like R101 & 102
135	0.015 KH2PO4 SA3177	DMS +	380	60	81	26	+	Loading equivalent to (acid sites/10),
		Form (1:2)						33% CA at 43% conc after hydrolysis
136	94 Al + 6 Mg	DMS +	380	60	63	17	+	Conv of DMS decreases with
		Form (1:2)						increasing Mg in HT
137	88 Al + 12 Mg	DMS +	380	60	61	12	+	End of HT runs, see HT
		Form (1:2)						comparison tables
138	SA3177	DMS +	380	60	76	24	+	High He flow (double); FR = 0.23 ml/min;
		Form (1:2)						conv & Yield lower
139	SA3177	DMS +	380	60	—	—	+	Same as R140, but some human error
		Form (1:2)
140	SA3177	DMS +	380	60	74	21	+	FR = 0.3 ml/min; increased preheat
		Form (1:2)						to 250 to vaporize feed complete
141	SA3177	DMS +	380	60	81	35	+	FR = 0.15 ml/min; bad MB because
		Formcel(1:2)						we lose MeOH in DME, good result
142	SA3177	DMS +	380	60	66	22	+	FR = 0.3 ml/min; conv & yield down;
		Formcel(1:2)						more cat wt gain than formalin
143	SA3177	DMS +	380	60	65	20	+	FR = 0.45 ml/min;
		Formcel(1:2)						didn't change much from above;
144	SA3177	DMS +	380	60	59	9	+	Same as R143, same cat, no regen;
		Formcel(1:2)						checked temp 3 diff points above reactor
145	SA3177	DMS +	380	60	—	—	+
		Formcel(1:2)
146	SA3177	DMS +	380	60	66	26	+	Inlet DMS molar fraction = 0.086 (const)
		Formcel(1:4)						in R146 to R149
147	SA3177	DMS +	380	60	62	21	+
		Form(1:2)
148	SA3177	DMS +	380	60	57	15	+	Conversion decreases (not much)
		Form(1:1)						with decreasing formaldehyde
149	SA3177	DMS +	380	60	52	10	+	Yield decreases with decreasing
		Form(1:0.5)						formaldehyde
150	AlPO; P/Al = 1	DMS +	380	60	81	20	+	Not much methanol yield; high form conv;
		Form(1:2)
151	AlPO; P/Al = 0.5	DMS +	380	60	71	15	+	High cat wt gain in those AlPO
		Form(1:2)						run compare to wt taken initially
152	AlPO; P/Al = 1.5	DMS +	380	60	49	0	+	No CA when P/Al = 1.5; Not
		Form(1:2)						moch CO2 ; not much form conv
153	SA3177	DMS +	350	60	57	17	+	Good sel at low temp,
		Form(1:2)						though low yield of CA
154	SA3177	DMS +	350	60	72	19	+	Longer Reactor;
		Form(1:2)						FR = 0.15 ml/min;
								not much diff from above
155	SA3177	DMS +	350	60	65	14	+	Longer Reactor; FR = 0.30 ml/min;
		Form(1:2)						follows R153 results
156	SA3177	DMS +	350	60	62	15	+	Same as R155; to see reproducibility=>excellent
		Form(1:2)
157	SA3177	Itaconic + water	350	60	96	46	+	IA converts into CA at rxn
								conditions, ˜100% conv, very dil IA in feed
158	Empty Reactor	DMS +	350	60	0	—	=	No loss of material; 100% recovery of form
		Form(1:2)
159	SA3177	DMS +	200	60	52	—	+	Lot of CO2, negligible CO; methanol 31%
		Form(1:2)
160	AlPO	DMS +	200	60	61	—	+	Not much CO2, more CO, 28% methanol
		Form(1:2)
161	SA3177 (acid treated)	DMS +	380	60		3	+	High yield of SA, fresh cat blackish;
		Form(1:2)
162	66% Mg + 34% Al	DMS +	200	60	42	—	+	Lot of CO2 , negligible CO; methanol 31%
		Form(1:2)
163	SA3177	DMS +	380	60	56	13	+	High conv of form (see R164); not good sel
		Form(1:0.5)
164	SA3177	DMS +	380	60	61	13	+	Cat regenerated from R163; cat activity preserves
		Form(1:0.5)
165	SA3178	DMS +	380	60	74	22	+	Mesh size 60/100;
		Form(1:2)						does not matter; not MT limited
TO = Trioxane
form = formaldehyde
1 KH2PO4 CPG-3000 means 1 mmol loading of KH2PO4 on CPG3000
In DMS + TO (1:4), molar ratio is between DMS and Formaldehyde, not between DMS and Trioxane (TO)
In temperature cell, 350-500(30) means rxn is carried out in that temp range with 30 C temp ramp
In conversion or yield cell, temp for best yield is given in bracket.
C means catalyst gain or loss,
+ means gain after the rxn.

Process Concept for Itaconic Acid Production from Succinates and Formaldehyde

A schematic of the reactions involved in the process for conversion of succinate (SA) to itaconate (IA) via the Stobbe condensation is given in FIG. 6 . As shown in FIG. 7 , the primary components of the process are the reactor, where conversion takes place, a reactive distillation column where hydrolysis of succinates and citraconate takes place, and finally a crystallization/isomerization operation wherein succinate is crystallized out for recycle and citraconic acid (CA) is converted to itaconic acid.

At present, several catalysts and reagents have been identified from which itaconic acid can be formed. Reaction conditions have been optimized to maximize the yield and selectivity of the desired product. The catalyst deactivation and regeneration procedure have been characterized so that the catalyst can be used in a continuous process. It has been shown that citraconic anhydride can be converted to itaconic acid via catalytic isomerization and a process has been developed for the isomerization step.

The process implements a novel isomerization and crystallization recovery scheme that leads to higher yields of itaconic acid than in the prior art. The recovery scheme takes advantage of the high solubility of citraconic acid relative to succinic and itaconic acid, as well as the unexpected ability to recover nearly pure succinic acid or nearly pure itaconic acid from aqueous solutions containing high concentration of citraconic acid along with the acid to be recovered.

The key process steps involve succinate acid crystallization at low temperatures (10°-15° C.) following hydrolysis. Partial isomerization of citraconic to itaconic acid is then carried out, with conversion of citraconic acid limited to about 50-60% to avoid formation of unwanted byproducts. Itaconic acid is then crystallized out of solution at 20° to 25° C. and unreacted citraconic acid is recycled back into the process.

The preferred itaconate recovery steps of FIG. 7 involve first succinate crystallization at low temperatures (10-15° C.) following the hydrolysis via reactive distillation and water evaporation. The reheated liquor from the succinate crystallizaer is then passed to the isomerization reactor, where citraconic acid is converted at 140-200° C. to itaconic acid and byproducts citramalic acid and mesaconic acid. After cooling, itaconic acid is crystallized out of solution at 20-25° C. A higher temperature is used in itaconic acid crystallization than in succinate crystallization to avoid unwanted cocrystallization of residual succinic acid with itaconic acid. The liquor from itaconic acid crystallization is then passed through a reisomerization reactor at 200-300° C. to convert unrecovered itaconic acid and byproducts mesaconic acid and citramalic acid back to citraconic acid. Citraconic acid is then recycled back to the beginning of the recovery scheme.

Process Stream Description For FIG. 7

The numbers on FIG. 7 are:

1. Dimethyl succinate (DMS) or succinic anhydride feed;

2. Formaldehyde feed as Formalin, Formcell, trioxane, or gas-phase formaldehyde;

3. Combined heated feed to reactor: formaldehyde:succinate ratio is 0.5:1 to 5:1;

4. Reactor effluent: contains citraconates, unreacted succinates and formaldehyde, methanol, CO 2 ;

5. Cooled effluent stream;

6. Gases from reaction: mainly CO 2 ;

7. Liquid product effluent;

8. Overhead from reactive distillation column, containing methanol, formaldehyde, water. These species are recycled back to the beginning of the process;

9. Water feed for hydrolysis column;

10. Aqueous solution of citraconic acid, succinic acid;

11. Water vapor from evaporator;

12. Saturated solution of succinic acid at approx. 100° C. (also contains citraconic acid);

13. Succinic acid crystals;

14. Liquor from succinate crystallizer: T=10−15° C.; contains citraconic acid, succinic acid;

15. Heated liquor;

16. Effluent from isomerization reaction: contains primarily itaconic acid, plus unreacted citraconic acid, byproducts mesaconic acid and citramalic acid, and succinic acid;

17. Cooled isomerization reactor effluent;

18. Itaconic acid crystals;

19. Liquor from itaconic acid crystallization: contains itaconic acid, citraconic acid, succinic acid, citramalic acid, mesaconic acid. T=25° C.;

20. Effluent from reisomerization reactor: contains itaconic acid, succinic acid, citraconic acid. Recycled to upstream end of recovery system.

Itaconic acid and succinic acid can be recovered from mixed acid streams similar in composition to those expected in the process (as described in FIG. 7 ). Citraconic acid can be converted to itaconic acid at fairly high selectivity and yield in batch studies at 140-200° C. Mesaconic, citramalic, and itaconic acids can be converted back to citraconic acid at nearly 100% yield at 200-300° C.

The recovery scheme for separating citraconic acid from succinic acid and then converting citraconic acid to itaconic acid is shown in FIG. 7 . The major steps in the process are the crystallization of succinic acid, the isomerization of citraconic acid to itaconic acid, crystallization of itaconic acid, and reisomerization of the byproducts of reaction back to citraconic acid. The reformed citraconic acid is recycled back to the feed point of the process, so that high overall yields of itaconic acid are achieved.

The recovery scheme integrates all of the steps along with succinate removal to achieve an efficiency of conversion of citraconic acid to itaconic acid higher than that reported heretofore in the literature.

The following examples describe experiments demonstrating the various steps of the recovery scheme. The compositions of the starting materials in each example have been chosen to simulate the stream compositions in the recovery scheme shown in FIG. 7 .

Succinic Acid Crystallization

Crystallization of succinic acid from an aqueous solution of mixed acids was carried out in the laboratory. The predetermined amounts of citraconic, succinic, and itaconic acids and water (Table 11 below) were weighed out and combined in a flask with a magnetic stir bar. The mixture was then heated, under reflux, in a constant temperature water bath to 85° C. with stirring. When all solid materials had entered into solution, the flask was removed from the water bath and either allowed to cool to room temperature (22° C.) or cooled using a cold water bath to 13° C. After cooling the crystals were vacuum filtered and washed with water that had been chilled in an ice-water bath. The crystals were then collected and either air dried or dried at 50° C. The residual liquor and the wash solution were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The crystals were dried, weighed, and then a portion was redissolved into solution and analyzed by HPLC for purity.

Results of succinate crystallization are shown in Table 11 below. Very high purity crystals of succinic acid are obtained from solution; crystallization at lower temperatures (13° C.) leads to a higher recovery of crystalline succinic acid from solution. Lower temperature crystallization is preferred in the process, both to enhance succinic acid recovery and to lower succinic acid concentration in the resulting liquor to a low enough value so that succinic acid does not co-crystallize with itaconic acid in the subsequent itaconic acid recovery step.

TABLE 11
Succinic Acid Crystallizations
	Crystallization		Crystal composition	% SA
Crystallization Inputs	temperature	Wash	% CA	% SA	% IA	crystallized
8.49 g CA, 7.8 g SA,	22° C.	35 g cold water	0.14	99.69	0.17	58.55
.448 g IA,
10.00 g H 2 O
8.50 g CA,	13° C.	40 g cold water	0.20	99.80	0.00	69.96
7.09 g SA,
.44 g IA,
10.01 g H 2 O
23.62 g CA, 7.08 g SA,	22° C.	27 g cold water	0.30	99.34	0.36	60.83
1.12 g IA,
10.024 g H 2 O

Itaconic Acid Crystallization

Predetermined amounts of citraconic, succinic, and itaconic acids and water were weighed out and combined in a flask with a magnetic stir bar. The mixture was then heated, under reflux, in a constant temperature water bath to 95° C. with stirring. When all solid materials had entered into solution the flask was removed from the water bath and allowed to cool to room temperature (22° C.). After cooling the crystals were vacuum filtered and washed with water that had been chilled in an ice-water bath or a room temperature saturated solution of itaconic acid. The crystals were then collected and either air dried or dried at 50° C. The solution of the liquor and washings was analyzed by HPLC; the crystals formed were dried, weighed and then redissolved in water to identify any impurities present in the product.

Results from several crystallization experiments are given in Table 12. Very high purity itaconic acid crystals are obtained. Recovery is enhanced by washing crystals in a saturated solution of itaconic acid in water. To further improve the purity of itaconic acid formed, the crystals formed as reported above were further purified by recrystallization in ethanol. The recrystallization in ethanol gave itaconic acid in a purity exceeding 99.5%.

TABLE 12
Itaconic Acid Crystallizations
	Crystal composition	% IA
Crystallization Inputs	Wash	% CA	% SA	% IA	crystallized
8.01 g CA, 0.81 g SA,	70 g cold water	0.01	1.34	98.65	55.13
13.06 g IA, 10.00 g H 2 O
8.07 g CA, 0.41 g SA,	26 g cold water	0.09	0.70	99.21	72.07
13.04 g IA, 10.006 g H 2 O
9.201 g CA, 0.937 g SA,	55 g room temp.	0.14	1.46	98.40	80.78
15.08 g IA, 11.588 g H 2 O	sat. IA solution

Isomerization of Citraconic Acid to Itaconic Acid

Isomerization was done in a 300 mL stirred autoclave reactor (Parr Instrument Co., Joliet, Ill.). The reactor was charged with desired quantities of citraconic acid and water to total of approximately 100 ml volume; in selected experiments acid (0.005 M H 2 SO 4 ) or base (NH 4 OH) was also added to examine the effect of pH on reaction. Solutions were heated to desired temperature and maintained there with agitation. Samples of the reaction solution were taken during reaction and analyzed in HPLC.

Results of isomerization experiments are given in Table 13. Yields of itaconic acid fed above 60% are achieved, with selectivity (mole itaconic acid formed/mole citraconic acid converted) approaching 90% in some reactions. There exists an optimum reaction time (for example, 3 hours @ 170° C.); longer reaction times lead to conversion of itaconic acid to undesired byproducts. Adding acid to lower pH does not markedly enhance itaconic acid yield; addition of base (not shown) reduced itaconic acid yield and was not pursued. The reaction can therefore be considered purely a thermal reaction, requiring no catalyst addition to the citraconic acid solution in order to achieve good yields and selectivities to itaconic acid.

Reisomerization of Citramalic, Mesaconic, and Itaconic Acid to Citraconic Acid

The byproduct acids citramalic acid and mesaconic acid formed in the isomerization step are recovered by converting them back to citraconic acid at elevated temperature over the same alumina (Norton SA3177) used as the catalyst for citraconic acid formation from formaldehyde and succinate. The itaconic acid remaining in the liquor following the itaconic acid crystallization step is also converted back to citraconic acid at these conditions. Two examples are provided below.

Conversion of Citramalic Acid to Citraconic Acid

A solution of 22 wt % citramalic acid in water was fed to the flow reactor described previously for converting dimethyl succinate and formaldehyde to citraconic acid. The reactor contained 5 g of Norton SA3177 Alundum (alumina) at a temperature of 270° C. The solution feed rate was 0.5 ml/min and the accompanying helium carrier flow rate was 55 ml/min, giving a weight hourly space velocity (WHSV) of 1.3 kg citramalic acid/kg alumina/hr. Only citraconic acid was detected in the liquid product solution; no citramalic acid or other products were observed. This indicates that the conversion of citramalic acid to citraconic anhydride is complete at these conditions.

Recovery Process

Here the sequential isomerization of citraconic acid to itaconic acid, crystallization of itaconic acid, and reisomerization of byproducts back to citraconic acid are demonstrated. Citraconic acid (60 g) was dissolved in 120 g water and placed in a batch autoclave reactor. The reactor was heated to 170° C. and stirred for 3 hours, then cooled. The resulting slurry was then filtered to recover 28 g of itaconic acid crystals that formed during the cooling (crystallization) step (yield is 47% of theoretical). The residual liquor was analyzed by HPLC and found to contain itaconic acid, citramalic acid, mesaconic acid, and citraconic acid. This liquor was passed over 5 g Norton SA3177 alumina in the flow reactor at 270° C. and 20 psig pressure. The liquor feed rate was 0.5 ml/min and the accompanying helium flow rate was 150 ml/min, to give a WHSV of 1.2 kg combined acids/kg alumina/hr. Analysis by HPLC revealed of the liquid effluent from the reactor showed that the only compounds present were citraconic acid and itaconic acid. Thus complete conversion of citramalic and mesaconic acid byproducts and partial conversion of uncrystallized itaconic acid was achieved. The quantity of citraconic acid in the effluent was 24.7 g along with 2.7 g itaconic acid. Thus, the final yield of itaconic acid was 30.7 g from 35.3 g citraconic acid converted, or 87% of theoretical.

TABLE 13
Isomerization of Citraconic Acid (CA)
	Reaction	Citraconic	Yields (% theoretical)
Feed	Temperature	time	acid	Itaconic	Mesaconic	Citramalic
Composition	(° C.)	(hr)	conversion	acid	acid	acid
13 g CA	170	3	69.8	61.1	0	9.0
117 g H 2 O
13 g CA	170	10	88.3	53.0	3.5	17.6
117 g H 2 O
10 g CA	190	1	72.3	62.9	0	10.4
90 g H 2 O
10 g CA	190	3	86.2	56.8	4.1	15.6
90 g H 2 O
10 g CA	150	3	20.6	25.0	0	N/A
90 g H 2 O
50 g CA	170	3	79.8	55.1	1.1	6.9
50 g H 2 O
10 g CA	170	3	73.0	62.4	0	10.6
90 g H 2 O
0.005 M H 2 SO 4
10 g CA	170	3	68.4	57.9	0	9.5
90 g H 2 O
0.005 M H 2 SO 4

Improved Process Incorporating Generation of Formaldehyde in the Process

This improvement shown in FIG. 10 is based on producing formaldehyde in its pure gaseous form via catalytic oxidation of methanol generated in the reactor. Production of formaldehyde from methanol represents a savings in raw material and shipping costs, as formaldehyde generated off-site (at $0.09 per lb 37% solution) is substantially more expensive than methanol ($0.11/lb in pure form). More importantly, this scheme eliminates the potential problems in separating methanol and formaldehyde when the reaction process is run in an excess of formaldehyde. As methanol is liberated from dimethyl succinate, it passes out the top of the hydrolysis column along with a mixture of water and unreacted formaldehyde. Depending on the formaldehyde conversion and molar ratio, the entire stream can be passed through an oxidation reactor to make a stream of formaldehyde for the reaction. The purity requirements on the stream are minimal, so complete conversion of methanol is not necessary because there is methanol in the reactor anyway.

The patent literature describes several methods for the catalytic oxidation of methanol to formaldehyde. The process is commonly practiced commercially using either silver or molybdenum-based catalysts. The reactant is typically an aqueous solution of methanol, although mixtures of methanol, water, and formaldehyde are also used. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,967,014; 4,450,301; 4,420,641; and 3,987,107 all describe conversion of methanol/water solution to formaldehyde solution over silver catalysts. In some cases two reactors in series are used to enhance overall conversion and yield; conversion of methanol to formaldehyde in excess of 90% is reported in these patents.

This step improves the overall process economics of itaconic acid formation. The quantity of water in the overhead stream of the reactive distillation is controllable by controlling the temperature and reflux ratio of the column.

The process does not have to include all operations in FIG. 7 in order to be covered under this application. For instance, the reisomerization reactor or the methanol oxidation to formaldehyde do not have to be included in order for the process to be viable. Further, the separation and hydrolysis do not have to be in a reactive distillation column in order for the process to be viable.

It is intended that the foregoing description be only illustrative of the present invention and that the present invention be limited only by the hereinafter appended claims.

Claims

1. A process for the preparation of citraconic acid in an aqueous solution which comprises:(a) contacting a molar excess of an aqueous solution of formaldehyde, gaseous formaldehyde or trioxane in a solvent with at least one compound selected from the group consisting of mono- and di-lower alkyl esters of succinic acid in vapor phase with a metal oxide catalyst at a temperature from about 320° to 440° C., at a pressure from about 20 to 400 psi, at a Weight Hourly Space Velocity (WHSV) from about 0.3 to 4 kg succinate/hr*kg catalyst, the catalyst consisting of a porous material having a surface area between about 30 m2/g and 700 m2/g, surface acid site density from about 66 to 2350 micromole/g, surface base site density from about 0 to 500 micromole/g and acid strength (pKa) of about +3 to −3 until reaction is substantially, complete to produce citraconic anhydride and unreacted ester of succinic acid which is recycled and methanol in the aqueous solution said lower alkyl having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms; (b) separating the methanol and unreacted formaldehyde or trioxane from the aqueous solution; (c) hydrolyzing the citraconic anhydride to citraconic acid and the ester of succinic acid to succinic acid at elevated temperatures in the aqueous solution while evaporating water from the aqueous solution and crystalizing the succinic acid from the aqueous solution to produce the citraconic acid in an aqueous solution.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the citraconic acid in said solution is isomerized to form itaconic acid.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein said formaldehyde in step (a) is introduced in a molar ratio of from about 0.5:1 to about 5:1 based on said compound.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein said formaldehyde in step (a) is introduced in the form of a 37% by weight aqueous solution which optionally can contain up to 15% methanol.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein the formaldehyde in step (a) is introduced as a 55% by weight aqueous solution containing 35% of methanol.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein the formaldehyde in step (a) is introduced in the form of trioxane or gaseous formaldehyde.

7. The process of claim 1 wherein the porous material is gamma-alumina.

8. The process of claim 1 wherein the porous material is calcined alumina.

9. The process of claim 1 wherein the porous material is silica.

10. The method of claim 2 wherein any unreacted citraconic acid produced with the itaconic acid is separated and recycled to be further isomerized.