2,997,433 United States Patent Office Patented Aug. 22, 1961 2 as low as about 105 millimeters mercury absolute are 2,997,433 PREPARATION OF TERTARY BUTYLATED of demonstrated effectiveness, as are pressures of about AROMATIC COMPOUNDS atmospheric and as high as 1,000 p.s.i.g. and higher. The Taoi as D. Nevitt, Waiparaiso, Ind., assignor to Standard mol ratio of neopentane to aromatic reactant is prefer Oil Coirpany, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Indiana ably from about 0.1:1 to 10:1. Conveniently, the reac No Drawing. Filed Mar. 24, 1959, Ser. No. 801,428 tion is conducted at the vapor pressure of the reaction 8 Claims. (Cl. 204-162) mixture at the temperature employed. Temperatures of, say, -40° C. to plus 200° C. or higher may be utilized. This invention relates to the preparation of tertiary It is, however, essential that a vapor phase be main butylated aromatic compounds and more specifically con O tained. When, for example, neopentane and toluene are cerns a novel method of preparing a tertiary-butylated reacted in the gas or vapor phase, the G value (molecules aromatic compound by reacting an aromatic reactant of product formed per 100 electron volts of energy ab with neopentane. sorbed) is on the order of 2.9. However, an analogous The alkylation of various aromatic compounds with reaction conducted in the liquid phase gives a G value of alkylating agents such as isobutene, methyl chloride and only about 0.02 for tertiary butylation, or less than one the like has long been conducted using conventional one-hundredth of the efficiency achieved in the vapor Friedel-Crafts or acid type catalysts. Unfortunately, phase. these chemical alkylations invariably produce a certain Radiation which effects the desired conversion may be amount of isomerization. When attempting to prepare any form of radiation which is either directly or indirect alkylates of high purity for use as feedstocks in labora 20 ly capable of forming ions in the gas phase. Beta par tory mechanism studies, e.g. in tracing the course of ticles and gamma rays are especially effective for the catalytic reforming reactions, this isomerization reaction instant purpose. As employed herein, throughout the frequently complicates product purification, and hence Specification and claims, the term "beta' relates to elec mechanism study, by forming close-boiling isomers of trons whether derived from nuclear disintegration reac the desired product. Isomerization of hydrogen atoms 2 5 tions (beta decay), orbital electron removal (Compton is particularly acute when attempting to alkylate aromatic Scattering, photoelectric effect), electron generating ap compounds with alkyl-affording groups where either the paratus (cathode ray tubes, Van de Graaff generators, aromatic compounds or the alkyl-affording groups are linear accelerators) or other sources. Likewise, the term deuterated or tritiated; in these cases, the resultant prod "gamma' is taken in its broad sense to denote electro uct is a mixture of deuterated or tritiated position isomers. 30 magnetic radiation having a wave length of between It has now been discovered in accordance with the in about 108 and about 10-11 centimeters, from whatever vention that aromatic compounds may be alkylated sub source derived. Gamma rays may be obtained from stantially without isomerization to yield a tertiary nuclear disintegration (fission, spallation, beta-gamma butylated aromatic compound by reacting the correspond decay), fusion, or by the interaction of particulate radia ing aromatic reactant with neopentane in the vapor phase 3 tion with matter. in the presence of ionizing radiation of sufficient intensity Certain radiation sources are particularly economical to effect substantial reaction. In marked contrast to when employed herein. Spent nuclear reactor fuel ele radiation-induced isoparaffin-olefin alkylation, or even in ments emit both gamma and beta rays, with gamma contrast with the alkylation of aromatic compounds by energy predominating. Waste fission products, which alkyl-affording compounds other than neopentane, the si) are the primary fission products and their decay prod desired tertiary-butylated aromatic compound is recov ucts obtained from nuclear fission processes, are both ered as substantially the only product, except for prod useful and low cost sources. Material made radioactive ucts of the methane ion which forms as a co-product, and by exposure to neutrons in a nuclear reactor, such as for less than about 10% of secondary butyl aromatic. Cobalt-60, may be utilized as a high intensity gamma The reaction of aromatic compounds with neopentane (and low energy beta) source. In large installations, the in accordance with the present invention may be sche reactants may be irradiated by the flux in or from a nu matically represented as follows: clear reactor; if desired, the reactants may constitute all or part of the gaseous moderator or coolant for such re CH3 CH3 actor. It is preferred that the radiation source be of ArH+H,c-d-CH, arr- Ar--CH+CH, 50 sufficient strength to supply at least about 106 rep H3 CEI3 (Roentgen equivalent physical) per hour. Aromatic compounds which may be reacted according to In addition to beta and gamma radiation, X-rays, the above formula range from the simple mononuclear alpha particles, neutrons, etc., may be employed. What benzenoid aromatics, such as benzene, toluene and Xylene, 55 ever the nature of said ionizing radiation, an energy level to the substituted polynuclear aromatics such as 1-chloro in the range of about 0.01 to about 100 meV. (million naphthalene. Other aromatic reactants, such as those electron volts), more desirably 0.05-50 mev., is econom listed in National Bureau of Standards circular C-461, ically most attractive. 1947, may be used. It appears that the basicity of the Thus, according to the invention, a feedstock contain aromatic determines, to some extent, the efficiency of 80 ing an aromatic reactant and neopentane is charged to radiation, with the G value (t-butyl) for benzene being a reaction zone where it is exposed in the vapor phase 0.4, while the G for more-basic toluene is 2.9, and the to ionizing radiation. A suitable dosage for effecting sub G for o-xylene is 4.0. Also, it appears that t-butylation stantial conversion is between about 104 and 1010 rep occurs more readily in the metal or para, rather than (Roentgen equivalent physical) with the dosage controlled ortho, position relative to existing groups on the aromatic 65 in conventional manner by varying the radiation flux and nucleus. The aromatic reactant may have hydrocarbon reactants residence time, or both. Irradiation to a dosage or non-hydrocarbon substituents thereon, such as alkyl of about 106-108 rep is the preferred practice. Either or alkenyl groups or chloro, hydroxy, or nitro groups after radiation processing or, if desired, during irradia which are stable under processing conditions. tion, the tertiary-butylated aromatic compound may be The inventive reaction may be carried out at any separated in any suitable manner from the reaction mix suitable pressure and/or temperature, provided there is O ture. Unconverted reactants may optionally be separated a vapor phase maintained in the reaction zone. Pressures and recycled to the reaction zone, for reprocessing, while 2,997,433 3 4 the tertiary-butylated aromatic products are sent to stor EXAMPLE 3 age. Light gases, which are a co-product of the reaction, In this example, toluene-alpha-da was tertiary butylated may be collected and employed as fuel gas, etc. with neopentane to produce CHCHDs. The irradiar Illustrative embodiments of the invention are depicted tion conditions duplicate those in Example 1. By mass in specific examples presented below. These examples are spectrometry, it was established that the gaseous prod intended to show particular embodiments and are not to ucts contained no deuterated paraffins, demonstrating that be considered definitive with respect to conditions, pro substitution of a ring hydrogen occurs. cedure, or scope. EXAMPLE EXAMPLE 4 O To compare gas phase radiation with radiation in the In this example, a feedstock consisting of neopentane liquid phase, toluene was alkylated with neopentane in and toluene was irradiated to produce t-butyl toluene as two experiments. Gas or vapor phase irradiation was the primary product. conducted in accordance with the procedure of Example To an evacuated one liter glass vial, 300 mm. Hg 1. Liquid phase radiations were carried out with 10 cc. neopentane and 26 mm. Hg of labeled toluene were 5 of reactants in 20 cc. glass vials at a temperature of 0 charged, and the vial was sealed. The toluene had been C. The following data and results were obtained: previously labeled with a ring carbon-14, and contained 2.5% benzene and less than 0.5% ethylbenzene and higher boiling materials. The vial was subjected to gamma Liquid Gas 2 radiation from spent uranium fuel slugs at the Argonne 20 Radiation Dose (ev.fml.X10)----------------------- 7.6 9,6 National Laboratory at a dosage rate of 106 rep/hour for Neopentane (millinoles)----------- 80 2. Toluene (millimoles)------------ 2.6 . 100 hours. Radiation was carried out at about 30 C. Butyl Substitution (g moles)---- ... 1 2-2 490-40 and a total pressure of 326 millimeters mercury absolute. G (Butyl Alkylation).--------------------------------- 0.02 2.9 After radiation, the vial and contents were cooled in ice, opened, and the mixture analyzed by introducing 25 1 Corrected for reaction occurring in vapor phase over liquid. a large volume of non-labeled aromatics of known com 2 Total pressure 353mm. position, fractionally distilling the mixture of reaction It is especially observed that the G value in the liquid products and non-labeled aromatics, and analyzing each phase was only 0.02, while in the gas phase in accord cut by liquid-scintillation counting of carbon-14 activity.