Oxidation of thiols employing cobalt molybdate/triethylamine catalyst

Claim 2

A process for the conversion of a thiol represented by the formula ##STR2## wherein R, R 1 , and R 2 can be hydrogen, alkyl, or cycloalkyl containing from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, R and R 1 taken together can be an alkylene radical having from 5 to 10 carbon atoms to a corresponding disulfide which comprises subjecting the same to oxidation conditions including air or oxygen-containing gas in the presence of a cobalt oxide molybdenum oxide catalyst on a support and a liquid tertiary amine represented by the formula (R.sup.3).sub.3 N where R 3 can be any alkyl radical having 1 to 6 carbon atoms.

Claim 3

A process according to claim 1 wherein the catalyst contains from about 3 to about 4 weight percent cobalt oxide and about 12 to about 18 weight percent molybdenum oxide on a suitable support.

Claim 4

A process according to claim 2 wherein the molybdenum oxide and cobalt oxide is on a support selected from alpha-alumina, gamma-alumina, alumina-silica, charcoal, silica, magnesium oxide, silica-carbon, and mixtures thereof.

Claim 5

A process according to claim 1 wherein the catalyst has the following approximate weight percent composition: ______________________________________ Cobalt oxide 3-4 Molybdenum oxide 15-16 Sodium oxide 0.4 Iron oxide 0.05 Alumnia (support) balance ______________________________________

Claim 6

A process according to claim 1 wherein the thiol is at least one selected from ______________________________________ methanethiol 2-hexanethiol ethanethiol 3-hexanethiol 1-propanethiol 2-methyl-2-pentanethiol 2-propanethiol cyclohexanethiol (isopropyl mercaptan) 1-butanethiol 1-methylcyclohexanethiol 2-butanethiol 4-methylcyclohexanethiol 2-methyl-2-propanethiol (tert-butyl mercaptan) 1-pentanethiol 2-pentanethiol 3-pentanethiol 3-methyl-2-butanethiol 3-methyl-2-propanethiol 1-hexanethiol ______________________________________

Claim 7

A process according to claim 1 wherein the tertiary amine is at least one selected from trimethylamine triethylamine tri-n-propylamine tri-n-butylamine tri-n-pentylamine tri-n-hexylamine methyldiethylamine ethyldipropylamine ethyldimethylamine

Claim 8

A process according to claim 1 wherein the cobalt molybdate catalyst, including support, is employed in the range of from about 0.1 g to about 1 g and the tertiary amine is in the range of from about 1 to about 10 mL employed to convert from about 25 to about 100 mL of the thiol.