A method for producing a purified phthalonitrile is described. The method involves reacting ammonia, oxygen, and xylene in the presence of a catalyst to obtain a product gas containing a phthalonitrile and a cyanobenzamide and then contacting the reaction product gas with an organic solvent to obtain a collection liquid. The collection liquid is distilled by a high boiling point fraction-separating column to obtain a gas that contains the phthalonitrile and the organic solvent from the column top, and to obtain a bottom liquid that contains a cyanobenzamide from the column bottom. The bottom liquid has a phthalonitrile content of 90% by mass or less. The bottom liquid is subjected to combustion, while being kept in a liquid state, and the purified phthalonitrile is obtained by removing the organic solvent from the gas that has been obtained from the column top.

A method for producing a purified phthalonitrile is described. The method involves reacting ammonia, oxygen, and xylene in the presence of a catalyst to obtain a product gas containing a phthalonitrile and a cyanobenzamide and then contacting the reaction product gas with an organic solvent to obtain a collection liquid. The collection liquid is distilled by a high boiling point fraction-separating column to obtain a gas that contains the phthalonitrile and the organic solvent from the column top, and to obtain a bottom liquid that contains a cyanobenzamide from the column bottom. The bottom liquid has a phthalonitrile content of 90% by mass or less. The bottom liquid is subjected to combustion, while being kept in a liquid state, and the purified phthalonitrile is obtained by removing the organic solvent from the gas that has been obtained from the column top.

A method for producing a purified phthalonitrile is described. The method involves reacting ammonia, oxygen, and xylene in the presence of a catalyst to obtain a product gas containing a phthalonitrile and a cyanobenzamide and then contacting the reaction product gas with an organic solvent to obtain a collection liquid. The collection liquid is distilled by a high boiling point fraction-separating column to obtain a gas that contains the phthalonitrile and the organic solvent from the column top, and to obtain a bottom liquid that contains a cyanobenzamide from the column bottom. The bottom liquid has a phthalonitrile content of 90% by mass or less. The bottom liquid is subjected to combustion, while being kept in a liquid state, and the purified phthalonitrile is obtained by removing the organic solvent from the gas that has been obtained from the column top.

The object is to prevent deterioration and loss of dicyanobenzene in producing dicyanobenzene by ammoxidation of xylene to thereby achieve industrial and economical advantage in producing of dicyanobenzene. The method for producing dicyanobenzene of the present invention includes: contacting a xylene-ammoxidation reaction gas containing dicyanobenzene in ammoxidation of xylene with an organic solvent so as to obtain a dicyanobenzene-absorbing solution; contacting the dicyanobenzene-absorbing solution with a basic aqueous solution containing a salt such as ammonium carbonate so as to extract a water-soluble salt formed by neutralization reaction between carboxylic acid in the dicyanobenzene-absorbing solution and a base in the basic aqueous solution into an aqueous phase; separating the mixture of the dicyanobenzene-absorbing solution and the basic aqueous solution into an organic phase and an aqueous phase; decomposing the salt such as ammonium carbonate contained in the organic phase for separation of the salt from the organic phase; and distilling the organic phase to separate low boiling point compounds contained in the organic phase from the organic phase so as to obtain dicyanobenzene.

The object is to prevent deterioration and loss of dicyanobenzene in producing dicyanobenzene by ammoxidation of xylene to thereby achieve industrial and economical advantage in producing of dicyanobenzene. The method for producing dicyanobenzene of the present invention includes: contacting a xylene-ammoxidation reaction gas containing dicyanobenzene in ammoxidation of xylene with an organic solvent so as to obtain a dicyanobenzene-absorbing solution; contacting the dicyanobenzene-absorbing solution with a basic aqueous solution containing a salt such as ammonium carbonate so as to extract a water-soluble salt formed by neutralization reaction between carboxylic acid in the dicyanobenzene-absorbing solution and a base in the basic aqueous solution into an aqueous phase; separating the mixture of the dicyanobenzene-absorbing solution and the basic aqueous solution into an organic phase and an aqueous phase; decomposing the salt such as ammonium carbonate contained in the organic phase for separation of the salt from the organic phase; and distilling the organic phase to separate low boiling point compounds contained in the organic phase from the organic phase so as to obtain dicyanobenzene.

The present disclosure relates to metal oxide catalyst materials useful, for example, in the ammoxidation of propylene or isobutylene, processes for making them, and processes for making acrylonitrile and methacrylonitrile using such catalyst materials. In certain aspects, a catalyst material is a fused composite of a metal oxide catalyst and nanoparticulate silica, the nanoparticulate silica comprising in the range of about 40 wt % to about 80 wt % of silica having a particle size in the range of 10 nm to 35 nm, and in the range of about 20 wt % to about 60 wt % of silica having a particle size in the range of 36 nm to 80 nm. The metal oxide catalyst can be, for example, a molybdenum-containing mixed metal oxide catalyst.

The present disclosure relates to metal oxide catalyst materials useful, for example, in the ammoxidation of propylene or isobutylene, processes for making them, and processes for making acrylonitrile and methacrylonitrile using such catalyst materials. In certain aspects, a catalyst material is a fused composite of a metal oxide catalyst and nanoparticulate silica, the nanoparticulate silica comprising in the range of about 40 wt % to about 80 wt % of silica having a particle size in the range of 10 nm to 35 nm, and in the range of about 20 wt % to about 60 wt % of silica having a particle size in the range of 36 nm to 80 nm. The metal oxide catalyst can be, for example, a molybdenum-containing mixed metal oxide catalyst.

A manufacturing method of a nitrile compound comprising a first step of introducing a raw material gas containing a cyclic compound having an organic substituent, ammonia, and air into a reactor and reacting the raw material gas in the presence of a catalyst to generate the nitrile compound, a second step of discharging a reacted gas from the reactor and separating the nitrile compound from the reacted gas, and a third step of collecting mist from a first residual gas obtained by separating the nitrile compound from the reacted gas to remove water and ammonium carbonate in the first residual gas.

A manufacturing method of a nitrile compound comprising a first step of introducing a raw material gas containing a cyclic compound having an organic substituent, ammonia, and air into a reactor and reacting the raw material gas in the presence of a catalyst to generate the nitrile compound, a second step of discharging a reacted gas from the reactor and separating the nitrile compound from the reacted gas, and a third step of collecting mist from a first residual gas obtained by separating the nitrile compound from the reacted gas to remove water and ammonium carbonate in the first residual gas.

A manufacturing method of a nitrile compound comprising a first step of introducing a raw material gas containing a cyclic compound having an organic substituent, ammonia, and air into a reactor and reacting the raw material gas in the presence of a catalyst to generate the nitrile compound, a second step of discharging a reacted gas from the reactor and separating the nitrile compound from the reacted gas, and a third step of collecting mist from a first residual gas obtained by separating the nitrile compound from the reacted gas to remove water and ammonium carbonate in the first residual gas.