Ethylene Cyanohydrin: Ethylene Oxide and Hydrogen Cyanide Heated in Water under Pressure

Ethylene cyanohydrin is made by joining ethylene oxide and hydrogen cyanide; it leads on to acrylonitrile and acrylic acid. Davis and Redmon (American Cyanamid, US 2,390,519, 1945) found that an equal-molecule mixture, heated under pressure, suddenly reacts by itself above about 90 °C. Without a diluent it can explode; diluted with water it runs smoothly. Their run at two-thirds strength in water started at 124 °C and gave 81.9 %. Hydrogen cyanide is deadly: closed apparatus only. The picture: our diagram.