Technological use of propionitrile electrosynthesis

Abstract

18-24<span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:" calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:="" "times="" new="" roman";mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;mso-hansi-theme-font:="" minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"times="" roman";mso-ansi-language:en-us;="" mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa"="">Propionitrile (PN) is manufactured by the non-dimerizing electroreduction of acrylonitrile. Thermodynamic calculations, kinetic studies, laboratory-scale preparative syntheses, and technological considerations made it possible to apply the electrochemical PN manufacturing on the pilot plant scale. As PN formation is kinetically favoured over adiponitrile, the yield of PN raises with increasing current densities. Endurance tests are reported for a continuous operation of the pilot plant over 7-days. Over this time period the specific material consumptions is of 1.12 kg AN (kg PN)-1, while the power usage is 4.73 kWh kg-1 The annual productivity of this type of plant is 6.53 x 103kg.</span