Process for the production of trimethyl phosphite

Claim 1

A METHOD OF PRODUCING TRIMETHYL PHOSPHITE WHICH COMPRISES REACTING AN ARYL SUBSTITUTED PHOSPHITE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ARYL DIMETHYL PHOSPHITE, DIARYL METHYL PHOSPHITE, TRIARYL PHOSPHITE AND MIXTURES THEREOF, WHEREIN THE ARYL GROUP IS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF PHENOL, O-CRESOL, M-CRESOL, P-CRESOL, 2,3-DIMETHYLPHEOL, 2,4-DIMETHYLPHENOL, 2,5-DIMETHYLPHENOL, 2,6-DIMETHYLPHENOL, 3,4-DIMETHYLPHENOL, 3,5-DIMETHYLPHENOL, 2,3,4-TRIMETHYLPHENOL, 2,3,5-TRIMETHYLPHENOL, 2,4,6-TRIMETHYLPHENOL, 2,4,5-TRIMETHYLPHENOL, 2,4,6-TRIMETHYLPHENOL, 3,4,5-TRIMETHYLPHENOL, 2-ETHYLPHENOL, 3-ETHYLPHENOL, 4-ETHYLPHENOL, 2-N-PROPYLPHENOL, 3-N-PROPYPHENOL, 4-NPROPYLPHENOL, 2-ISOPROPYLPHENOL, 3-ISOPROPYLPHENOL, 4-ISOPROPYLPHENOL, 3-ETHYL-2-METHYLPHENOL, 4-ETHYL-2-METHYLPHENOL, 5-ETHYL-2-METHYLPHENOL, 6-ETHYL-2-METHYLPHENOL, AND METHANOL IN THE PRESENCE OF AN ALKALINE TRANSESTERIFICATION CATALYST AT A TEMPERATURE UP TO AND INCLUDING THE BOILING POINT OF TRIMETHYL PHOSPHITE AND METHANOL UNDER THE IMPOSED PRESSURE CONDITIONS TO PRODUCE A TRANSESTERIFICATION REACTION PRODUCT CONTAINING TRIMETHYL PHOSPHITE, THE SAID CORRESPONDING PHENOL, METHANOL, TRIVALENT PHOSPHORUS-CONTAINING COMPOUNDS AND NON-REUSUABLE BYPRODUCTS; SUBJECTING SAID REACTION PRODUCT TO CONTINUOUS FLASH VAPORIZATION OF EFFECT THE CONCOMITANT VAPORIZATION OF ESSENTIALLY ALL OF THE TRIMETHYL PHOSPHITE, SAID PHENOL, METHANOL AND TRIVALENT PHOSPHORUS-CONTAINING COMPOUNDS, AVOIDING THE VAPORIZATION OF SAID NON-REUSABLE BYPRODUCTS; CONTINUOUSLY FRACTIONALLY DISTILLING SAID CONCOMITANTLY VAPORIZED PRODUCTS AND CONTINUOUSLY RECOVERING SUBSTANTIALLY PURE TRIMETHYL PHOSPHITE AND SAID PHENOL WHILE CONTINUOUSLY RECYCLING RECOVERED METHANOL AND RECOVERED TRIVALENT PHOSPHORUS-CONTAINING COMPOUNDS TO THE TRANSESTERIFICATION REACTION.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF PRODUCING TRIMETHYL PHOSPHITE WHICH COMPRISES REACTING AN ARYL SUBSTITUTED PHOSPHITE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ARYL DIMETHYL PHOSPHITE, DIARYL METHYL PHOSPHITE, TRIARYL PHOSPHITE AND MIXTURES THEREOF, WHEREIN THE ARYL GROUP IS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF PHENOL, O-CRESOL, M-CRESOL, P-CRESOL, 2,3-DIMETHYLPHEOL, 2,4-DIMETHYLPHENOL, 2,5-DIMETHYLPHENOL, 2,6-DIMETHYLPHENOL, 3,4-DIMETHYLPHENOL, 3,5-DIMETHYLPHENOL, 2,3,4-TRIMETHYLPHENOL, 2,3,5-TRIMETHYLPHENOL, 2,4,6-TRIMETHYLPHENOL, 2,4,5-TRIMETHYLPHENOL, 2,4,6-TRIMETHYLPHENOL, 3,4,5-TRIMETHYLPHENOL, 2-ETHYLPHENOL, 3-ETHYLPHENOL, 4-ETHYLPHENOL, 2-N-PROPYLPHENOL, 3-N-PROPYPHENOL, 4-NPROPYLPHENOL, 2-ISOPROPYLPHENOL, 3-ISOPROPYLPHENOL, 4-ISOPROPYLPHENOL, 3-ETHYL-2-METHYLPHENOL, 4-ETHYL-2-METHYLPHENOL, 5-ETHYL-2-METHYLPHENOL, 6-ETHYL-2-METHYLPHENOL, AND METHANOL IN THE PRESENCE OF AN ALKALINE TRANSESTERIFICATION CATALYST AT A TEMPERATURE UP TO AND INCLUDING THE BOILING POINT OF TRIMETHYL PHOSPHITE AND METHANOL UNDER THE IMPOSED PRESSURE CONDITIONS TO PRODUCE A TRANSESTERIFICATION REACTION PRODUCT CONTAINING TRIMETHYL PHOSPHITE, THE SAID CORRESPONDING PHENOL, METHANOL, TRIVALENT PHOSPHORUS-CONTAINING COMPOUNDS AND NON-REUSUABLE BYPRODUCTS; SUBJECTING SAID REACTION PRODUCT TO CONTINUOUS FLASH VAPORIZATION OF EFFECT THE CONCOMITANT VAPORIZATION OF ESSENTIALLY ALL OF THE TRIMETHYL PHOSPHITE, SAID PHENOL, METHANOL AND TRIVALENT PHOSPHORUS-CONTAINING COMPOUNDS, AVOIDING THE VAPORIZATION OF SAID NON-REUSABLE BYPRODUCTS; CONTINUOUSLY FRACTIONALLY DISTILLING SAID CONCOMITANTLY VAPORIZED PRODUCTS AND CONTINUOUSLY RECOVERING SUBSTANTIALLY PURE TRIMETHYL PHOSPHITE AND SAID PHENOL WHILE CONTINUOUSLY RECYCLING RECOVERED METHANOL AND RECOVERED TRIVALENT PHOSPHORUS-CONTAINING COMPOUNDS TO THE TRANSESTERIFICATION REACTION.