Abstract: The oxidation of isobutane in the presence of a novel, soluble catalyst of the formula Fe.sub.3 O(Pivalate).sub.6 (MeOH).sub.3 Cl is disclosed. Tertiary-Butyl alcohol, tertiary-butyl hydroperoxide, and acetone are produced. A significant increase in isobutane conversion is obtained without a large decrease in selectivity to tertiary-butyl alcohol and tertiary-butyl hydroperoxide using a small amount of catalyst. Tertiary-butyl alcohol is useful as a gasoline additive and tertiary-butyl hydroperoxide is used for the production of propylene oxide. Acetone has a variety of uses as well.

Abstract: The oxidation of isobutane in the presence of a novel, soluble propylene glycol/vanadium catalyst is disclosed. Tertiary-butyl alcohol, tertiary-butyl hydroperoxide, and acetone are produced. A significant increase in isobutane conversion is obtained without a large decrease in selectivity to tertiary-butyl alcohol and tertiary-butyl hydroperoxide using a small amount of catalyst. Tertiary-butyl alcohol is useful as a gasoline additive and tertiary-butyl hydroperoxide is used for the production of propylene oxide. Acetone has a variety of uses as well.

Abstract: An improved procedure for making molybdenum/ethylene glycol complexes useful as epoxidation catalysts wherein the cycle time necessary for catalyst preparation is significantly reduced by preparing a mixture of undiluted ethylene glycol with undiluted ammonium dimolybdate in the molar ratio of about 7 to about 20 moles of ethylene glycol per gram atom of molybdenum, heating the mixture from ambient conditions to a temperature of about 25.degree. to about 150.degree. C. over a 5 to 100 minute period while simultaneously reducing the pressure to about 5 to about 100 mm Hg and, after an appropriate holding time, if necessary, returning the mixture to ambient conditions and recovering an essentially solids free clear catalytically active solution of molybdenum/ethylene glycol complex in unreacted ethylene glycol having a molybdenum content of about 10 to 15 wt. % of molybednum.

Abstract: Motor-fuel grade tertiary butyl alcohol contaminated with residual amounts of tertiary butyl hydroperoxide and ditertiary butyl peroxide (which is prepared, for example, by reacting propylene with tertiary butyl hydroperoxide to form propylene oxide and a motor fuel grade tertiary butyl alcohol reaction product) can be effectively catalytically treated under mild conversion conditions including a temperature of about 80.degree. to 180.degree. C. with a base-treated hydrogenation catalyst from groups VIB or VIIIB of the Periodic Table in order to substantially selectively convert the two peroxide contaminants to tertiary butyl alcohol and to thereby provide a treated tertiary butyl alcohol product substantially free from contaminating quantities of such peroxides.

Abstract: Complexes made by reacting propylene glycol with a vanadium compound soluble therein at an elevated temperature. Mild stripping of the water subsequent to complex formation is preferred. The ratio of moles of propylene glycol to gram atoms of vanadium in the complex forming reaction ranges from 7:1 to 20:1.

Abstract: Motor-fuel grade tertiary butyl alcohol which is prepared, for example, by reacting propylene with tertiary butyl hydroperoxide to form propylene oxide and a tertiary butyl alcohol reaction product contaminated with residual amounts of tertiary butyl hydroperoxide and ditertiary butyl peroxide can be effectively catalytically treated under mild conversion conditions including a temperature of about 80.degree. to 280.degree. C. with an unsupported catalyst composed of nickel, copper, chromia and iron, or the oxides thereof, or a catalyst containing nickel, copper, chromia and iron which is supported on silica in order to substantially selectively convert the two peroxide contaminants to tertiary butyl alcohol and to thereby provide a treated tertiary butyl alcohol product substantially free from contaminating quantities of such peroxides.

Abstract: Complexes are made by reacting a solid ammonium molybdate and a solid alkali metal molybdate with ethylene glycol. Stripping of water of reaction subsequent to complex formation is preferred. The ratio of moles of alkylene glycol to total gram atoms of molybdenum should be in the range from about 7:1 to about 20:1 and the ratio of gram atoms of molybdenum in the ammonium molybdate to gram atoms of molybenum in the alkali metal molybdenum should be in the range of about 1:1 to about 20:1. Solutions of the complexes are excellent catalysts for the reaction of propylene with an organic hydroperoxide such as tertiary butyl hydroperoxide to form proplyene oxide and tertiary butyl alcohol.

Abstract: Methyl formate is removed from propylene oxide by treatment with aqueous calcium hydroxide slurry. Calcium hydroxide solubility is increased by adding a solubilizer selected from the group consisting of sucrose, fructose, maltose, glycerol and mixtures thereof. Methyl formate hydrolysis rate is improved by propylene oxide/water ratio control. Addition of an aldehyde scavenger improves propylene oxide purity.

Abstract: Methyl formate is removed from propylene oxide by treatment with a selected base such as sodium hydroxide in water and glycerol. Selected inert salts may be added. The rate of methyl formate hydrolysis by selected bases was increased to commercially acceptable levels by addition of the glycerol. The glycerol and inert salts reduced the amount of residual water in the propylene oxide.

Abstract: Provided is a novel thioether diester synthetic lubricating oil composition represented by the formula: ##STR1## in which R and R.sub.1 each represent alkyl radicals having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, with the total number of carbon atoms in R, R, R.sub.1, and R.sub.1 ranging from about 6 to 20, and n is an integer from 2 to 5.

Abstract: Storage stable solutions of molybdenum/alkanol complexes in the alkanol are prepared by reacting a molybdenum oxide and ammonium hydroxide and an amount of a straight chain or branched chain C.sub.6 -C.sub.13 alkanol, within the range of about 10 to about 55 moles of alkanol per gram atom of molybdenum sufficient to form a storage stable molybdenum/alkanol complex. The complex-forming reaction is initiated in the presence of about 1 to about 4 moles of water per gram atom of molybdenum and about 0.5 to about 10 moles of ammonia per gram atom of molybdenum, the water and ammonia preferably being added in the form of concentrated ammonium hydroxide. The reaction is conducted at a temperature of about 120.degree. to about 190.degree. C. for a period of time, normally about 3 to about 8 hours, sufficient to substantially completely remove ammonia and water to provide a liquid reaction product comprising said solution of molybdenum/alkanol complex dissolved in unreacted alkanol and containing about 0.

Abstract: Storage stable solutions of molybdenum/alkanol complexes in the alkanol are prepared by reacting an ammonium molybdate with an amount of a straight chain or branched chain C.sub.6 -C.sub.13 alkanol, within the range of about 7 to about 20 moles of alkanol per gram atom of molybdenum sufficient to form a storage stable molybdenum/alkanol complex. The complex-forming reaction is initiated in the presence of about 1 to about 4 moles of added water per gram atom of molybdenum and is conducted at a temperature of about 120.degree. to about 190.degree. C. for a period of time, normally about 3 to about 8 hours, sufficient to substantially completely remove ammonia and water to provide a liquid reaction product comprising said solution of molybdenum/alkanol complex dissolved in unreacted alkanol and containing about 0.001 to about 0.1 wt. % of water. The reaction product is filtered to provide a clarified storage stable solution of the molybdenum/alkanol complex.

Abstract: Complexes made by reacting an ammonium-containing molybdenum compound with an alkylene glycol in the presence of water at an elevated temperature are described. Mild stripping of the water subsequent to complex formation is preferred. If some of the water is left in the complex, it may serve as an excellent olefin epoxidation catalyst. The ratio of moles of alkylene glycol to gram atoms of molybdenum in the complex forming reaction ranges from 7:1 to 20:1. Ethylene glycol and propylene glycol are the particularly preferred alkylene glycols.

Abstract: A method for decomposing organic hydroperoxides to their corresponding alcohols is described. A solution containing the organic hydroperoxides is contacted with cobalt borate or cobalt borate on titanium dioxide catalyst. The hydroperoxide is reduced to at least 0.2 wt. % of the effluent and often less than 0.09 wt. %. Cobalt borate has the added advantage of not leaching cobalt into the effluent unlike known cobalt oxide decomposition catalysts.

Abstract: A process for simultaneously producing an epoxide and a carboxylic acid from an olefin and an aldehyde, respectively, by co-oxidation over a catalyst in the presence of oxygen is described. The catalyst is made by precipitating silver oxide in the presence of copper(II) oxide, copper(II) borate or a mixture thereof. These novel heterogeneous catalysts provide higher selectivities to the epoxide than those obtainable with commercial catalysts.

Abstract: A process for the direct oxidation of propylene in the presence of oxygen, a silver catalyst and chlorobenzene as a solvent is described. Halocarbon co-solvents such as trichlorotrifluoroethane are used to enhance selectivity to the desired propylene oxide. The direct oxidation is preferably run at a temperature between about 150.degree. to 250.degree. C.

Abstract: An improved process for the manufacture of synthetic lubricant additives from internal olefins is described. The process utilizes boron trifluoride catalysis with a promoter to produce oligomer mixtures that have surprisingly low viscosities at low temperatures and surprisingly high viscosity indexes as compared with the oligomers found in other methods. It is important that internal olefins be used almost exclusively in the method of this invention.

Abstract: Novel feedstocks for the production of synthetic lubricant base oils are described. The feedstock is a blend of internal and alpha olefins with the internal olefins comprising more than 50 but less than 99 weight percent of the blend. The alpha olefins may be derived from ethylene polymerization or wax pyrolysis. The olefins may be oligomerized over a boron trifluoride catalyst and a promoter. When the oligomers are hydrogenated they provide a synthetic lubricant base stock having excellent properties.

Abstract: A synthetic lubricating oil composition comprising a major portion of a synthetic lubricant component or a mixture of a synthetic lubricant component and a hydrocarbon mineral base oil and a minor portion of various additive components is described. The synthetic lubricant component is manufactured from internal olefins.The process for making the synthetic lubricant component utilizes boron trifluoride catalysis with a promoter to produce oligomer mixtures that have surprisingly low viscosities at low temperatures and surprisingly high viscosity indexes as compared with the oligomers found in other methods. It is important that internal olefins be used predominantly to make the oligomers. Alpha olefins make up the balance of the olefins.

Abstract: An improved process for the manufacture of synthetic lubricant additives from olefins having two or three carbon atoms is described. The low molecular weight olefins are converted to internal olefins having 9 to 24 carbon atoms via isomerization and disproportionation. The process utilizes boron trifluoride catalysis with a promoter to produce from the C.sub.9 -C.sub.24 internal olefins oligomer mixtures that have surprisingly low viscosities at low temperatures and surprisingly high viscosity indexes as compared with the oligomers found in other methods. It is important that internal olefins be used almost exclusively in the second step of the method of this invention.