PURPOSE: To obtain 2-methylnaphthalene having extremely low nitrogen content and sulfur content from an oil containing 1-methylnaphthalene in high yield at a low cost by isomerizing 1-methylnaphthalene to 2-methylnaphthalene while keeping the catalytic activity over a long period.
CONSTITUTION: 2-Methylnaphthalene is produced by isomerizing an oil containing 1-methylnaphthalene having decreased nitrogen compound content and produced by the azeotropic distillation of an oil containing 1-methylnaphthalene with ethylene glycol to isomerize 1-methylnaphthalene to 2-methylnaphthalene and recovering the produced 2-methylnaphthalene from the reaction product transferred from the isomerization process. As an alternative, 2-methylnaphthalene is produced by carrying out the azeotropic distillation of an oil containing 1-methylnaphthalene in the presence of ethylene glycol, subjecting the obtained fraction containing 1-methylnaphthalene and having decreased nitrogen compound content to hydrogenative desulfurization and isomerizing the hydrodesulfurized oil.
TAKAGI YOSHINORI
SUZUKI TOSHIHIDE
HOTTA TSUGIO
