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Abstract

The invention provides a process and a plant for the production of ε-caprolactam and crystalline ammonium sulfate in an industrial-scale plant, wherein the plant comprises a Beckmann rearrangement reaction section, an ammonium sulfate crystallization section, and one or more heat exchangers configured to transfer heat from the Beckmann rearrangement reaction section to the ammonium sulfate crystallization section and wherein the process comprises the steps of:

a) feeding (i) cyclohexanone oxime and(ii) oleum and/or sulfuric acidto the Beckmann rearrangement reaction section b) reacting components (i) and (ii) in the Beckmann rearrangement reaction section to form a reaction mixture comprising ε-caprolactam, whereby heat of reaction is generated;c) discharging the reaction mixture comprising ε-caprolactam from the Beckmann rearrangement reaction section;d) removing partially or fully the heat of reaction generated in the Beckmann rearrangement reaction section by one or more heat exchangers configured to transfer heat from the Beckmann rearrangement reaction section;e) feeding an aqueous liquid comprising ammonium sulfate to the ammonium sulfate crystallization section;f) introducing heat into the ammonium sulfate crystallization section comprising the aqueous ammonium-sulfate-comprising liquid by one or more heat exchangers configured to transfer heat into the ammonium sulfate crystallization section;g) forming ammonium sulfate crystals by evaporative crystallization in the ammonium sulfate crystallization section;characterized in thath) the heat of reaction removed from the Beckmann rearrangement reaction section in step d) is at least partially or fully transferred to the ammonium sulfate crystallization section in step f).

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First Claim