Herbicidal Carboxylic Acid Salt Preparation via Azeotropic Solvent Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for preparing carboxylic acid salts are costly due to high energy requirements for drying, suffer from low yield and purity issues, especially on an industrial scale, and struggle with pH control and consistency, particularly when producing sticky salts.
Innovation Solution
A process involving combining a carboxylic acid with a high-boiling, water-immiscible organic solvent, treating it with a base to form a carboxylic acid salt, removing solvent through azeotropic distillation, and drying the resulting cake, which reduces energy consumption and enhances yield and purity, while allowing for consistent pH control without the need for excess bases or buffers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If conventional methods are used to prepare carboxylic acid salts by reacting aqueous acid solutions with alkaline solutions, then the salts can be produced, but the energy consumption for drying is excessively high due to the large volume of water used
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the physical parameters of the system by using an organic solvent with specific properties (high boiling point, water-immiscible) instead of aqueous solutions. This parameter change fundamentally alters the drying requirements, eliminating the need to evaporate large volumes of water and thus dramatically reducing energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The organic solvent acts as an intermediary medium that facilitates the reaction between carboxylic acid and base while enabling easy separation and drying. The solvent's unique properties (water-immiscible, high boiling point) allow it to serve as a bridge that resolves the contradiction between reaction feasibility and energy-efficient drying.
2Manufacturing precision
If excess bases or buffers are added to control pH, then the pH can be adjusted, but the yield and purity are reduced and additional drying steps are required
Solution Approach 1:
The invention performs preliminary action by carefully controlling the neutralization reaction to proceed to completion without excess base addition. The organic solvent system allows precise stoichiometric control, eliminating the need for subsequent pH adjustment steps and avoiding the yield losses associated with adding excess bases or buffers.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is designed to be self-regulating, where the organic solvent environment naturally facilitates complete neutralization without requiring external pH adjustment agents. The reaction system serves its own pH control needs through controlled stoichiometry, eliminating the need for additional pH adjustment steps.
3Reliability
If sticky salts are produced, then the reaction is complete, but the drying process becomes difficult and consistent products are hard to produce
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the physical state parameters by using an organic solvent system where the salt product remains in a non-sticky, free-flowing state during the reaction and drying process. This parameter change in the solvent environment prevents salt aggregation and stickiness, making the drying process straightforward and ensuring consistent product formation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This process effectively produces solid, free-flowing, and water-soluble carboxylic acid salts at a lower cost, with improved environmental friendliness and higher yields and purity, suitable for industrial-scale production, and maintains a consistent pH without requiring additional pH adjustment steps.
Implementation Method 1
combining a carboxylic acid in a high-boiling, water-immiscible organic solvent to obtain a solution or slurry
Implementation Method 2
treating the solution or slurry produced in step (i) with a base to form a carboxylic acid salt
Implementation Method 3
removing solvent from the mixture produced in step (ii) to obtain a carboxylic acid salt cake
Implementation Method 4
drying the cake obtained in step (iii)
Data Source
AI summary
A process for preparing a herbicidally active carboxylic acid salt is disclosed. The process comprises the steps of:i) combining a carboxylic acid with a high-boiling, water-immiscible organic solvent to obtain a solution or slurry;ii) treating the solution or slurry produced in step (i) with a base to form a carboxylic acid salt;iii) removing solvent from the mixture produced in step (ii) to obtain a carboxylic acid salt cake; andv) drying the cake obtained in step (iii).The process is particularly suitable for preparing a salt of dicamba.