| abstract |
Continuous prodn. of beta-alanine in a system of two tubular reactors is effected by (a) feeding aq. ammonia into the first reactor, (b) introducing acrylonitrile into the aq. ammonia at a flow velocity of >=20 m/sec., by means of a nozzle, (c) introducing aq. sodium hydroxide soln. into the ammoniacal reaction soln. in the second reactor, (d) maintaining the whole system at a pressure of >=20 atm., (e) removing ammonia from the reaction prodt., (f) neutralising and (g) extracting with methanol to remove the by-prodt. monosodium iminodipropionate. High yields of high quality beta-alanine are obtd. by a technically simple continuous prodn. process. |