DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW ADVANCED PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING POLYACETAL RESINS .1. DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING HIGHLY CONCENTRATED AQUEOUS FORMALDEHYDE SOLUTION BY METHYLAL OXIDATION
J. Masamoto et al., DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW ADVANCED PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING POLYACETAL RESINS .1. DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING HIGHLY CONCENTRATED AQUEOUS FORMALDEHYDE SOLUTION BY METHYLAL OXIDATION, Journal of applied polymer science, 50(8), 1993, pp. 1299-1305
A new technology for the production of highly concentrated aqueous for
maldehyde was developed by oxidizing methylal. Whereas the oxidation o
f methanol yields 1 mol of water per 1 mol of formaldehyde, methylal o
xidation produces only 1 mol of water for every 3 mol of formaldehyde.
Thus, the output from methylal oxidation is more than 70% formaldehyd
e compared with 55% from methanol oxidation. For this purpose, basic r
esearch for methylal synthesis was tried and the world's first commerc
ial production of methylal was accomplished. Using this methylal, the
world's first technology of methylal oxidation for manufacturing highl
y concentrated aqueous formaldehyde was established by development of
a new methylal oxidation catalyst composed of iron, molybdenum, and a
third component. This highly concentrated aqueous formaldehyde is then
fed to the acetal homopolymer and copolymer plant whose combined capa
city is 35,000 tons/years. (C) 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.