Process for the manufacturing of methane sulfonic acid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10899705-B2
Application number	US-201816614599-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2018
Priority date	May 30, 2017
Publication date	Jan 26, 2021
Grant date	Jan 26, 2021

Abstract

The present invention relates to a process for the manufacturing of methane sulfonic acid (MSA) by reaction of a radical initiator composition with methane and sulfur trioxide comprising the steps (a) preparation of the intiator composition by reacting aqueous hydrogen peroxide with the components methane sulfonic acid and methane sulfonic acid anhydride and (b) reaction of the initiator composition from step (a) with sulfur trioxide and methane to form methane sulfonic acid. The invention further relates to the use of methane sulfonic acid anhydride (MSA anhydride) in said process and to methane sulfonic acid manufactured by said process.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process of manufacturing methane sulfonic acid by reacting a radical initiator composition with methane and sulfur trioxide, the process comprising:
a) preparing the radical initiator composition by reacting aqueous hydrogen peroxide with methane sulfonic acid and methane sulfonic acid anhydride, and
b) reacting the radical initiator composition of a) with sulfur trioxide and methane to form methane sulfonic acid.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the radical initiator composition of a) further comprises sulfur trioxide.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the radical initiator composition of a) further comprises a recycle stream from a bottom purge of a final distillation of methane sulfonic acid, comprising methane sulfonic acid and sulfuric acid.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein b) comprises an initiation reaction and a propagation reaction.

5. The process of claim 1 , further comprising c) purifying the methane sulfonic acid formed in b).

6. The process of claim 1 , further comprising c) purifying the methane sulfonic acid form in b) by a single step distillation.

7. The process of claim 1 , further comprising c) purifying the methane sulfonic acid foamed in b) by a crystallization followed by a solid-liquid separation.

8. The process of claim 1 , wherein
a) is conducted in a reactor A, and
b) is conducted in a reactor B, and the process further comprises
c) purifying the methane sulfonic acid formed in b) in a column or set of columns C,
wherein the reactor A, the reactor B and the column or set of columns C are connected to conduct the process continuously.

9. The process of claim 1 , wherein
a) is conducted in a reactor A, and
b) is conducted in a reactor B, and the process further comprises
c) purifying the methane sulfonic acid formed in b in a crystallization unit, where a mother liquor is recycled into the crystallization unit or into the reactor A or into the reactor B or drained.

10. The process of claim 1 , wherein a) is conducted in a reactor A, and the process further comprises:
c) purifying the methane sulfonic acid formed in b), to obtain a purified methane sulfonic acid, and then
d) providing methane sulfonic acid anhydride for subsequently charging the reactor A with methane sulfonic acid anhydride.

11. The process of claim 1 , wherein a) is conducted in a reactor A, and the process further comprises:
c) purifying the methane sulfonic acid formed in b), to obtain a purified methane sulfonic acid, and then
d) providing methane sulfonic acid anhydride for subsequently charging the reactor A with methane sulfonic acid anhydride,
wherein d) comprises separately manufacturing methane sulfonic acid anhydride or separating methane sulfonic acid anhydride as a side-component from c).

12. The process of claim 1 , wherein after a), after the radical initiator composition is formed, a water content is in a range of from 0 wt-% to 1 wt-% and a content of sulfuric acid is in a range of from 0 wt-% to 5 wt-%.

13. The process of claim 1 , wherein after b), after methane sulfonic acid is formed, a content of sulfuric acid is in a range of from 0 wt-% to 25 wt-%.

14. The process of claim 1 , further comprising c) purifying the methane sulfonic acid formed in b),
wherein after c), after methane sulfonic acid is purified, a content of sulfuric acid is in a range of from 0 ppm to 500 ppm.

15. The process of claim 1 , further comprising c) purifying the methane sulfonic acid formed in b),
wherein a temperature in a) is in a range of from −5° C. to 25° C.,
a temperature in b) is in a range of from 25° C. and 80° C., and
a temperature in c) in a bottom of a column is in a range of from 130° C. to 240° C.

16. The process of claim 1 , wherein a) comprises two sub-steps a1) and a2),
wherein a temperature in sub-step a1) is in a range of from 25° C. to 80° C. and
a temperature range in sub-step a) and in optional further sub-steps is in a range of −5° C. to 25° C. each.

17. The process of claim 1 , wherein a pressure in a) is about 1013 mbar or beyond 1013 mbar,
a pressure in b) is in a range of from 10 bar to 150 bar, and
a pressure in c) in a bottom of a column is in a range of from 2 mbar to 1000 mbar.

18. A method of manufacturing methane sulfonic acid, the method comprising
a) preparing an initiator composition,
wherein a) comprises scavenging water with methane sulfonic acid anhydride,
wherein the methane sulfonic acid is manufactured by a radical reaction, and the initiator composition comprises aqueous hydrogen peroxide, methane sulfonic acid, optionally sulfur trioxide, optionally sulfuric acid and methane sulfonic acid anhydride.

19. A method of manufacturing methane sulfonic acid, the method comprising preparing the methane sulfonic acid by a radical reaction comprising an initiator composition comprising methane sulfonic acid, methane sulfonic acid anhydride and aqueous hydrogen peroxide.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the initiator composition further comprises sulfur trioxide.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein the initiator composition further comprises sulfuric acid.

22. The process of claim 1 , further comprising c) purifying the methane sulfonic acid form in b) by a multi step distillation.

23. The process of claim 1 , further comprising c) purifying the methane sulfonic acid formed in b),
wherein after c), after methane sulfonic acid is purified, a content of sulfuric acid is in a range of from 0 ppm to 200 ppm.

Assignees

• Basf Se

Inventors

• Spielmann Jan
• Zeilinger Michael
• Wortmann Juergen
• Borgmeier Frieder

Classifications

• C07C309/04

  containing only one sulfo group · CPC title

• C07C303/44

  Separation; Purification · CPC title

• C07C303/06 Primary

  by reaction with sulfuric acid or sulfur trioxide · CPC title

• C07C317/04 Primary

  of an acyclic saturated carbon skeleton · CPC title

• C07C315/06

  Separation; Purification; Stabilisation; Use of additives · CPC title