E. E. E.M., Contains Some Hypophosphorous Acid, Is Used To
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) US005431,792A United States Patent (19) 11 Patent Number: 5431,792 Morgan et al. 45 Date of Patent: Jul. 11, 1995 54 METHOD OF MAKING 5,135,626 8/1992 Mani et al. ....................... 204/1824 HYPOPHOSPHOROUSACD 5,139,632 8/1992 Chlanda et al. .................. 204/1824 5,162,076 11/1992 Chiao et al. ...................... 204/1824 75 Inventors: Russell J. Morgan, Grand Island; 5,225,052 7/1993 Takikawa et al. .................... 204/90 Robert L. Zeller, III, Youngstown, both of N.Y.; Joseph Dealmeida, FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS Carrollton, Tex. 0459751A1 12/1991 European Pat. Off. 73 Assignee: Occidental Chemical Corporation, 92/11080 7/1992 WIPO. Niagara Falls, N.Y. OTHER PUBLICATIONS 21 Appl. No.: 169,021 K. N. Mani, “Electrodialysis Water Splitting Technol 22 Filed: Dec. 20, 1993 Yournal of Membrane Science, 58, (1991) pp. 51) Int. Cl................. so a sease oeuvoo BOD 61/44 Abstract, G. E. Revzin et al., Ser. Khim. Nauk (2), 52 U.S. C. ................................... 204/1824; 204/90; 125-9 (1987). 204/98; 204/103 VanWazer, “Phosphorus And Its Compounds', vol. I, 58 Field of Search ...................... 204/103, 1824, 90, p. 359 (1958). 204/98 Primary Examiner-John Niebling (56) References Cited Assistant Examiner-Arun S. Phasge U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Wayne A. Jones; Richard D. Fuerle 2,976,117 3/1961 Pahud ................................... 23/107 3,052,519 9/1962 Bianchi et al. ........................ 23/107 57 ABSTRACT 4,082,8353,787,304 4/19781/1974 Chlanda et al. ............................... ... 204/182.4 E. Pisclosed is a method of making hypophosphorous aid> 4,107,015of 3/16788/1978 Ninia".Chlanda et al. .................. 42.3/si fromlytic watersodium splitting hypophosphite upon an aqueous by performing solution electrodia of sodium 4,219,396 8/1980 Gancy et al. ..................... 204/1824 hypophosphite. The process can be tied into an existing 4,265,866 5/1981 Arzoumanidis et al. ........... 423/304 process for producing sodium hypophosphite wherein 4,391,680 7/1983 Mani et al. ............................ 204/98 the product of the sodium hypophosphite process is 4,504,373 3/1985 Mani et al. ... ... 204/1824 used as a starting material in the hypophosphorous acid 4,521,391 6/1985 Estes it..." 423/307 process and the depleted sodium hypophosphite solu : A. inci et al. ............. 2: tion from the hypophosphorous acid process, which 496,838E. 12/1990E. ManiE.M., et al... ..", thecontains pH in some the sodiumhypophosphorous hypophosphite acid, process. is used to adjust 4,999,095 3/1991 Chlanda et al. .................. 204/1824 5,006,211 4/1991 Paleologou et al. ............. 204/182.4 23 Claims, 3 Drawing Sheets 3O 12 is 6 (3) () 6) GS) G \ ER 27 U.S. Patent July 11, 1995 Sheet 2 of 3 5431,792 4t 35 il. 42 38 70 A -------Y- a was as woma 39 ------------- "y 54 71 52 47 53 49 56 apos mappare 58 61 •--------•+--• 78 ha ...4.----------- ----------------------------- 73 76 FG. 2 U.S. Patent July 11, 1995 Sheet 3 of 3 5,431,792 |-!2.‘9 5431,792 1. 2 8.0x10-2 (pKa=1.1). On the other hand, K. Mani in METHOD OF MAKNG HYPOPHOSPHOROUS WO 92/11080 defines a weak acid for the purpose of ACD electrodialytic water splitting as one with a pKa of 3 or greater, but generally less than 11. The electrodialytic BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 5 water splitting of sodium hypophosphite would there This invention relates to a method of making hypo fore be expected to produce hypophosphorous acid phosphorous acid (HPA) using electrodialytic water having a concentration of about 1 normal at a current splitting. It also relates to an improved method of mak efficiency of 80%. Another reason, relating to produc ing sodium hypophosphite wherein the sodium hypo tion in conventional electrolytic membrane cells, may phosphite is used in an electrodialytic water splitting be due to product quality concerns associated with process to make hypophosphorous acid and the de oxidation of the hypophosphorous acid at the anode to pleted sodium hypophosphite from the electrodialytic produce phosphite anion contamination of the product. water splitting process is used to adjust the pH in the process for making sodium hypophosphite. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Electrodialytic water splitting is a process in which as We have discovered that when hypophosphorous solution of a salt is subjected to a direct current, decom acid is produced by the electrodialytic water splitting of posing water and causing the anions and cations to pass sodium hypophosphite at 80% current efficiency, the through anion exchange and cation exchange mem concentration of the hypophosphorous acid produced is branes, respectively, forming an acid and a base in sepa rate compartments. For example, if a solution of sodium 20 not the 1 normal concentration that would be expected chloride is placed between a cation exchange membrane for a strong acid, but instead is about 2.2 normal. While and an anion exchange membrane and is subjected to a we are unable to account for the unusually high concen direct current, hydrochloric acid will form on the other tration of hypophosphorous acid that can be obtained, side of the anion exchange membrane and sodium hy the result is very beneficial because it reduces the droxide will form the other side of the cation exchange 25 amount of evaporation that is needed to produce high membrane. The concentration of the acid formed is a concentrations of the acid. As a result, the production function of the current density, but the higher the con of hypophosphorous acid by electrodialytic water split centration of the acid, the lower will be the current ting may be competitive with other methods of produc efficiency. ing that acid. There is also a relationship between the strength of 30 We have also discovered that the production of hy the acid (i.e., how strongly it dissociates to liberate H) pophosphorous acid by electrodialytic water splitting and the concentration of the acid that can be obtained at can be tied into an existing process for producing so a particular current efficiency. At the same current dium hypophosphite. That is, the sodium hypophos efficiency, it is possible to obtain higher concentrations phite product from an existing process can be used as of weak acids than of strong acids. The relationship 35 the starting material in the electrodialytic water split between the strength of the acid and the concentration ting process and the depleted sodium hypophosphite of the acid that can be obtained at a given current effi salt from the electrodialytic water splitting process, ciency can be found in an article by K. N. Mani titled, which contains some hypophosphorous acid, can be "Electrodialysis Water Splitting Technology,” Journal used to adjust the pH in the existing sodium hypophos of Membrane Science, 58 (1991) pps. 117-138 at page 40 phite process. When this is done, the existing sodium 122. (This article is hereinafter referred to as "Mani, hypophosphite process is improved in several ways. 1991'.) In that article it states that at a current effi The product value of the hypophosphorous acid in the ciency of 80% or higher and a current density of 100 depleted salt stream is recovered instead of being neu mA/cm2 the concentration of a strong acid that can be tralized with the dilute caustic stream prior to resatura obtained is about 1 normal and the concentration of a 45 tion with sodium hypophosphite crystal. This not only weak acid that can be obtained is about 3 to about 6 allows product acid, which would otherwise be lost, to normal. Because hypophosphorous acid is a strong be effectively utilized in the process, but also allows monobasic acid, the normality and molarity are equal more of the weak caustic product solution to be utilized values (i.e., 1N H3PO2=1M H3PO2). as feed in the sodium hypophosphite process. The use of Hypophosphorous acid is now produced by the acidi- 50 acids other than hypophosphorous acid in the existing fication of sodium hypophosphite. For example, one sodium hypophosphite process to adjust the pH is elimi can load a cation exchange resin with hydrogen ions nated, and therefore the sodium hypophosphite product and pass a solution of sodium hypophosphite over the will contain hypophosphite instead of foreign anions resin so that the sodium ion is exchanged for the hydro and be purer. This will also reduce the amount of cal gen ion and hypophosphorous acid is produced. Until 55 cium salt waste material that is generated, which has a now, the production of hypophosphorous acid by elec significant disposal cost. Also, the calcium salt waste trodialytic water splitting has not been suggested or material is thixotropic, which means that it releases attempted. One possible reason for this is that the water when it is shaken, and since it must be disposed of readily available references for HPA describe it as a as a solid waste, this is unacceptable for companies that strong acid. As a strong acid, the concentration of HPA 60 accept solid waste for disposal. The substitution of hy that could be produced at a given current efficiency pophosphorous acid for other acids in the existing so would be low, requiring a choice between high power dium hypophosphite process unexpectedly eliminates consumption to make a high concentration of acid and this problem. high energy consumption to evaporate water from a In addition, the dilute caustic generated in the elec low concentration of acid. Van Wazer, Phosphorus and 65 trodialytic water splitting process can be incorporated Its Compounds, Vol I., page 359 (1958), the definitive into the sodium hypophosphite process without penalty reference on phosphorous chemistry, describes HPA as as a source of NaOH in the phosphorous hydrolysis a strong monobasic acid with a dissociation constant of portion of the process.