Encyclopedic Dictionary of Named Processes in Chemical Technology, Fourth Edition

418 Pages·2014·3.268 MB·English

by  Alan E Comyns

Chemical Engineering
While overviews of the chemical
technology industry are present
in other books, most of the
names defined within this volume
are unique to this compilation.
This reference includes named E N C YC LO P E D IC
processes in current commercial
use around the world, processes
D I C T I O N A R Y O F
that have been or are being piloted
on a substantial scale, and even
obsolete processes that have been
NA MED PRO CESSES
important in the past.
The length of the dictionary
entries reflects their importance
and topicality. The text includes
references that document the origins
C HE M IC A L
of the processes and review the
Since the third edition of this reference was
latest developments. Written by a IN
completed, there have been major changes in the
highly experienced and respected
global chemical industry. With less emphasis on
author, this user-friendly text is
new processes for making basic chemicals and
presented in a practical dictionary
more emphasis on pollution prevention and waste
format that is useful for a T ECH NOL O G Y
disposal, petrochemical processes are giving way
broad audience including industrial
to biochemical processes. These changes are
chemists and engineers.
reflected in the new processes being developed,
many of which have their own names. In
addition, niche improvements are still being made
in petrochemistry, and some of these processes FOURTH EDITION
have new names as well.
Gathering and defining a large portion of special
named processes that may fall outside standard
chemical texts or be scattered among industry
manuals, Encyclopedic Dictionary of Named
Processes in Chemical Technology, Fourth
Edition provides a single-source reference on an
extensive array of named processes. It provides
concise descriptions of those processes in
chemical technology that are known by
special names that are not self-explanatory.
K16356
Alan E. Comyns
ISBN-13: 978-1-4665-6776-4
90000
9 781466 567764
K16356_Cover_mech.indd All Pages 1/13/14 3:37 PM

Joseph Stella, By-Products Plants, 1923/26, Oil on canvas, 61 × 61 cm (24 × 24 in.), Gift of Mr. and
Mrs. Noah Goldowsky in memory of Esther Goldowsky, 1955.816, The Art Institute of Chicago.
Photography © The Art Institute of Chicago.
Boca Raton London New York
CRC Press is an imprint of the
Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
The author wishes to thank Kevin Craig (CRC Press) for designing the cover for the 2nd edition, which was used also, in
different colors, in the 3rd and 4th editions. He had been inspired by Joseph Stella’s painting which had been proposed,
but not accepted, as the frontispiece for the 1st edition, and is now printed in this edition.
Previous editions
1. Dictionary of Named Processes in Chemical Technology, 1993. By Alan E. Comyns. Oxford University Press, Oxford,
UK. ISBN 0-19-855385-4
2. Encyclopedic Dictionary of Named Processes in Chemical Technology, 1999. By Alan E. Comyns. 2nd edn., CRC Press,
Boca Raton, FL, USA. ISBN 0-8493-1205-1
3. Encyclopedic Dictionary of Named Processes in Chemical Technology, 2007. By Alan E. Comyns. Foreword by Colin
A. Russell. 3rd edn., Taylor & Francis, Boca Raton, FL, USA. ISBN 978-0-8493-9163-7
CRC Press
Taylor & Francis Group
6000 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300
Boca Raton, FL 33487-2742
© 2014 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
CRC Press is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business
No claim to original U.S. Government works
Version Date: 20140115
International Standard Book Number-13: 978-1-4665-6777-1 (eBook - PDF)
This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly regarded sources. Reasonable efforts have been
made to publish reliable data and information, but the author and publisher cannot assume responsibility for the valid-
ity of all materials or the consequences of their use. The authors and publishers have attempted to trace the copyright
holders of all material reproduced in this publication and apologize to copyright holders if permission to publish in this
form has not been obtained. If any copyright material has not been acknowledged please write and let us know so we may
rectify in any future reprint.
Except as permitted under U.S. Copyright Law, no part of this book may be reprinted, reproduced, transmitted, or uti-
lized in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopy-
ing, microfilming, and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the
publishers.
For permission to photocopy or use material electronically from this work, please access www.copyright.com (http://
www.copyright.com/) or contact the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. (CCC), 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923,
978-750-8400. CCC is a not-for-profit organization that provides licenses and registration for a variety of users. For
organizations that have been granted a photocopy license by the CCC, a separate system of payment has been arranged.
Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for
identification and explanation without intent to infringe.
Visit the Taylor & Francis Web site at
http://www.taylorandfrancis.com
and the CRC Press Web site at
http://www.crcpress.com
Dedicated to the generations of industrial chemists and engineers
whose ingenuity has given us the materials of civilization.
© 2010 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

Contents
Foreword ...........................................................................................................................................ix
Acknowledgments .............................................................................................................................xi
Introduction ....................................................................................................................................xiii
Author ............................................................................................................................................xvii
A .........................................................................................................................................................1
B .......................................................................................................................................................31
C .......................................................................................................................................................53
D .......................................................................................................................................................93
E .....................................................................................................................................................111
F .....................................................................................................................................................125
G ....................................................................................................................................................137
H ....................................................................................................................................................147
I ......................................................................................................................................................175
J .....................................................................................................................................................185
K ....................................................................................................................................................187
L .....................................................................................................................................................199
M ....................................................................................................................................................211
N .....................................................................................................................................................237
vii
© 2010 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
viii Contents
O ....................................................................................................................................................247
P .....................................................................................................................................................259
Q ....................................................................................................................................................283
R .....................................................................................................................................................285
S .....................................................................................................................................................299
T .....................................................................................................................................................341
U .....................................................................................................................................................357
V .....................................................................................................................................................363
W ...................................................................................................................................................369
X .....................................................................................................................................................379
Z .....................................................................................................................................................381
Bibliography .................................................................................................................................385
Appendix .......................................................................................................................................387
© 2010 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
Foreword
It is a great honor to write a foreword to the preeminent dictionary of named processes in the chemi-
cal industry. Named industrial processes have always been the poor relation of named reactions.
On my bookshelf, I have several books devoted to named organic reactions, including ones by J. S.
Gowan and T. S. Wheeler (1960), Alexander Surrey (2nd ed., 1961), and R. C. Denny (1969). The
Merck Index also has an excellent section on named reactions. For industrial processes, “Comyns”
stands practically alone, its only rival being the book by Kurt Wagner (1951), which has a much
broader brief and is now completely out of date. Yet industrial processes and names are more often
mentioned than named organic reactions and far more often by nonchemists. The Haber–Bosch
process is far better known than the Cannizzaro reaction or the Michael addition.
At the same time, it is all too easy to confuse two processes or to fail to realize that a process has
more than one name. Increasingly, older processes are misunderstood or forgotten altogether. It is
not generally known that the Caro of Caro’s acid was a completely different chemist to the Caro of
the Frank–Caro process, or that the Bayer process has nothing to do with the Bayer chemical com-
pany. Even product names can give rise to confusion. Some years ago, a well-known popular writer
stated that Buna, an early German synthetic rubber, was an abbreviation of its main components
butadiene and natrium (seemingly unaware that Na is the symbol for sodium). Had he consulted
this dictionary, he would have soon discovered that sodium was a catalyst rather than a component
of Buna. There are no less than four processes associated with Friedrich Bergius, two connected
with his well-known oil-from-coal process and two associated with the conversion of wood into
sugars. The Merseburg process was actually developed in Oppau on the other side of Germany
and later used at Leuna. The name comes from the subsidiary that ran the huge Leuna factory,
Ammoniawerke Merseburg. Armed with this book, you will be in no danger of making mistakes
or getting confused.
A particular strength of this book is the historical information it contains. The long-vanished
Leblanc process is covered in some detail, as are associated processes such as the Deacon and
Weldon processes. Comyns is also good at explaining the various nuances of a process or a product
name. Take, for example, once again, Buna, which has been the name of several synthetic rubbers
and an East German “combinat” (now part of Dow). Here is an author who loves chemical pro-
cesses and their quirky names—and is deeply knowledgeable about them. The product index at the
back is another useful feature. To take synthetic rubber, one can find the processes associated with
Ostromislenski, Lebedev, and Reppe, as well as the aldol process. The latter shows the value of the
index, for I would not have thought of looking under aldol. The high quality of this book is again
demonstrated by the mention in the aldol entry of the “four-step” process, the now obscure name
given to this process by IG Farben in the 1920s.
This is an exceedingly useful book for industrial chemists, historians of chemistry and chemical
technology, science writers, and journalists. It should be found in any reference library worthy of
the name. “Comyns” deserves to be as well known in the field of chemical technology as “Kirk-
Othmer.” Sadly this is the last edition of “Comyns,” so make sure you get it before it becomes
unobtainable!
Peter J. T. Morris
Honorary Research Associate
University College London
ix
© 2010 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC