2018 Spring Symposium
Jinsuo Xu, The Dow Chemical Company, 400 Arcola Rd, Collegeville, PA 19426
Abstract — Acrylic acid and corresponding acrylates are major monomers for a variety of functional polymers used broadly in our daily life such as coating, sealant, and personal care. The two-stage selective oxidation of propylene to acrolein and then to acrylic acid was first commercialized in early 70s and quickly became the dominant route to acrylic acid. Driven by feedstock cost or availability or sustainability, significant efforts from both industry and academia were devoted to developing alternative routes to acrylic acid. Catalyst plays critical role in the key step of transforming different raw material into product effectively, for example, mixed metal oxides MoVTeNbOx in propane selective oxidation, solid acids in dehydration of glycerin or 3-HP, and various oxides in aldol condensation of acetic acid and formaldehyde. This presentation will discuss the progress of these major routes, the challenges towards commercialization, and potential solutions.