Process for the production of aromatic isocyanates

Claim 1

IN A PORCESS FOR CONTINUOUSLY PRODUCING AROMATIC ISOCYANATES BY REACTION OF PHOSGENE AND AN AROMATIC PRIMARY AMINE, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES CONTINUOUSLY INTRODUCING LIQUID PHOSGENE INTO A REACTOR AND CONTINUOUSLY INTRODUCING A SOLUTION OF AN AROMATIC PRIMARY AMINE IN AN INERT ORGANIC SOLVENT IN A SEPARATE STREAM INTO THE SAME SAID REACTOR AND THEREIN CONTINUOUSLY REACTING WITH MIXING UNDER SUPERATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE AND AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN ABOUT 110*C. AND ABOUT 195* C. THE SAID PHOSGENE AND THE SAID AMINE THEREBY FORMING THE CORRESPONDING ISOCYANATE, CONTINUOUSLY WITHDRAWING FROM THE REACTOR AN INERT ORGANIC SOLVENT SOLUTION OF THE SAID ISOCYANATE TOGETHER WITH THE EXCESS PHOSGENE AND THEHYDROGEN CHLORIDE FORMED DURING THE REACTION, AND THEREAFTER CONTINUOUSLY RECOVERING THE SAID ISOCYANATE, THE AMOUNT OF PHOSGENE EMPLOYED BEING AT LEAST 1.75 MOLES PER NH2 GROUP ON THE AMINE.