Abstract: The present invention provides a process for more efficiently producing an ?-hydroxycarboxylic acid ester wherein side reactions due to the ?-hydroxycarboxylic acid ester are inhibited or prevented in comparison with prior art production processes. The invention provides a process for producing an ?-hydroxycarboxylic acid ester comprising Steps 1 to 3: Step 1. reacting, in the presence of oxygen, (i) a 1,2-diol with a 1,2-diol or (ii) a 1,2-diol with an alcohol to obtain a reaction product containing an ?-hydroxycarboxylic acid ester; Step 2. separating the ?-hydroxycarboxylic acid ester from the reaction product obtained in Step 1 by distillation under reduced pressure; and Step 3. feeding Step 1 with a mixture obtained by partially or entirely removing water from the reaction product, wherein the mixture contains an unreacted 1,2-diol and/or alcohol.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for more efficiently producing an ?-hydroxycarboxylic acid ester wherein side reactions due to the ?-hydroxycarboxylic acid ester are inhibited or prevented in comparison with prior art production processes. The invention provides a process for producing an ?-hydroxycarboxylic acid ester comprising Steps 1 to 3: Step 1. reacting, in the presence of oxygen, (i) a 1,2-diol with a 1,2-diol or (ii) a 1,2-diol with an alcohol to obtain a reaction product containing an ?-hydroxycarboxylic acid ester; Step 2. separating the ?-hydroxycarboxylic acid ester from the reaction product obtained in Step 1 by distillation under reduced pressure; and Step 3. feeding Step 1 with a mixture obtained by partially or entirely removing water from the reaction product, wherein the mixture contains an unreacted 1,2-diol and/or alcohol.

Abstract: A method for producing an alkanolamine from liquid ammonia in the presence of a solid catalyst efficiently with both the cost of equipment and the expense of utility repressed is provided. After not less than 60% of the ammonia has been recovered as liquid ammonia from the product solution, the remaining ammonia is recovered as aqueous ammonia solution through the steps of stripping and absorption in water. Separately, a dialkanolamine can be selectively and efficiently produced by circulating part of the product solution to the reactor.

Abstract: In producing alkanolamines by use of a microporous material as a catalyst, the difficulty in industrially performing the production because of the short lifetime of the catalyst is resolved. A process of regenerating the catalyst by removing an organic substance deposited on the catalyst by means of decomposing and/or extracting the substance is introduced, and thereby steady production is carried out substantially over the long term by switching the reaction and the regenerating processes.

Abstract: A method for producing a molding of binderless zeolite by exposing to saturated steam a precursor having a tetraalkylammonium salt component, an alkali metal component, and a metal component incorporated in the crystal skeleton of zeolite supported on a molding using silica as a main component, the molding of binderless zeolite, and use of the molding as a catalyst for the production of an alkanolamine.

Abstract: Selective production of a dialkanolamine is attained by controlling the volume preceding the entrance to a catalyst bed and the temperature prevailing under respectively fixed levels subsequent to the mixture of an alkylene oxide thereby repressing a reaction occurring in the absence of a catalyst and curbing the formation of trialkanolamine.

Abstract: Selective production of a dialkanolamine is attained by controlling the volume preceding the entrance to a catalyst bed and the temperature prevailing under respectively fixed levels subsequent. to the mixture of an alkylene oxide thereby repressing a reaction occurring in the absence of a catalyst and curbing the formation of trialkanolamine. The reactant fluid is prevented from generating a channeling by disposing an exportable structure in a reactor thereby creating the state of a false shell-and-tube type reactor. The reaction is initiated with the inlet temperature set at a higher level than the prescribed level and the alkylene oxide concentration set at a lower level than the prescribed level and thereafter the inlet temperature and the alkylene oxide concentration are gradually changed toward the respectively prescribed levels.

Abstract: A method for producing an alkanolamine from liquid ammonia in the presence of a solid catalyst efficiently with both the cost of equipment and the expense of utility repressed is provided. After not less than 60% of the ammonia has been recovered as liquid ammonia from the product solution, the remaining ammonia is recovered as aqueous ammonia solution through the steps of stripping and absorption in water. Separately, a dialkanolamine can be selectively and efficiently produced by circulating part of the product solution to the reactor.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for producing a (poly)alkylene glycol monoalkyl ether with high selectivity and high yield. In this process, the (poly)alkylene glycol monoalkyl ether is produced by reacting an olefin and a (poly)alkylene glycol in the presence of a catalyst, wherein: 1) a crystalline metallosilicate is used as the catalyst, and at least a portion of the used catalyst is regenerated, and the regenerated catalyst is recycled as the catalyst for the reaction; or 2) the reaction between the olefin and the (poly)alkylene glycol is carried out in the presence of either or both of a (poly)alkylene glycol dialkyl ether and an alcohol.

Abstract: A method for producing a molding of binderless zeolite by exposing to saturated steam a precursor having a tetraalkylammonium salt component, an alkali metal component, and a metal component incorporated in the crystal skeleton of zeolite supported on a molding using silica as a main component, the molding of binderless zeolite, and use of the molding as a catalyst for the production of an alkanolamine.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for producing a (poly)alkylene glycol monoalkyl ether with high selectivity and high yield. In this process, the (poly)alkylene glycol monoalkyl ether is produced by reacting an olefin and a (poly)alkylene glycol in the presence of a catalyst, wherein: 1) a crystalline metallosilicate is used as the catalyst, and at least a portion of the used catalyst is regenerated, and the regenerated catalyst is recycled as the catalyst for the reaction; or 2) the reaction between the olefin and the (poly)alkylene glycol is carried out in the presence of either or both of a (poly)alkylene glycol dialkyl ether and an alcohol.

Abstract: The invention provides a process for producing dialkanolamines through amination of alkylene oxide with ammonia at liquid phase, in which side formation of trialkanolamines is inhibited and dialkanolamines can be produced with high selectivity and high efficiency. Said process is carried out in the presence of a catalyst which possesses such reaction characteristics that render the rate constant &agr; of the reaction between ammonia and alkylene oxide not less than 0.10, when the reaction rate constant between monoalkanolamine and alkylene oxide is 1, and the rate constant &bgr; of the reaction between dialkanolamine and alkylene oxide not more than 0.7, when the reaction rate constant between monoalkanolamine and alkylene oxide is 1.

Abstract: Reactive distillation equipment applicable to a relatively complicated reaction composed of at least two steps of equilibrium reactions, and a reactive distillation method capable of performing the reaction efficiently. Raw material feeding pipes 5, 6 and 7 are connected to a reactive distillation column 1. The raw material feeding pipes 5, 6 and 7 are disposed on different stages of the reactive distillation column 1 in this order from the top of the column downward. It is preferred that the reactive distillation column 1 includes a stage to which no raw material feeding pipe is connected between a first stage connected to the raw material feeding pipe 5 and a second stage connected to the raw material feeding pipe 6, and between the second stage and a third stage connected to the raw material feeding pipe 7.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for producing a (poly)alkylene glycol monoalkyl ether with high selectivity and high yield. In this process, the (poly)alkylene glycol monoalkyl ether is produced by reacting an olefin and a (poly)alkylene glycol in the presence of a catalyst, wherein: 1) a crystalline metallosilicate is used as the catalyst, and at least a portion of the used catalyst is regenerated, and the regenerated catalyst is recycled as the catalyst for the reaction; or 2) the reaction between the olefin and the (poly)alkylene glycol is carried out in the presence of either or both of a (poly)alkylene glycol dialkyl ether and an alcohol.

Abstract: A process is provided which comprises using a catalyst comprises a rare earth element supported on an inorganic heat-resisting carrier, when a monoethanolamine is selectively prepared by reacting an alkylene oxide with ammonia in a liquid phase. This catalyst has excellent monoalkanolamine selectivity and heat resistance; and therefore, even when the ratio of ammonia to the alkylene oxide is lower compared with cases where other catalysts are used, an equal or more amount of the monoalkanolamine can be formed, and thus the recovery cost of the unreacted ammonia is reduced. Further, since the total amount of the feed raw materials is reduced, apparatuses for the reaction system and recovery system can be made smaller, and thus the cost of equipment is reduced.

Abstract: An aromatic carbonate ester is continuously and efficiently prepared by the transesterification of an aromatic carboxylate with an aliphatic carbonate ester and/or aromatic.aliphatic carbonate ester. A raw material including an aromatic carboxylate, aliphatic carbonate ester and/or aromatic.aliphatic carbonate ester, and a catalyst are continuously fed to a first stage of a reactive distillation column (1) through a raw material feeding pipe (5). Meanwhile, an aliphatic carbonate ester (a) whose boiling point is lower than that of a reactant liquid that is present in a second stage lower than the first stage is continuously fed to the second stage through an aliphatic carbonate ester (a) feeding pipe (6). The second stage is preferably a column bottom section of the reactive distillation column (1). The amount of aliphatic carbonate ester (a) fed is preferably 0.001 to 5 times, by weight, more than the amount of the raw material fed.

Abstract: There is provided a process for producing a (poly)alkylene glycol monoalkyl ether from an olefin and a (poly)alkylene glycol at a high conversion at a high selectivity. This process comprises reacting an olefin with a (poly)alkylene glycol in the presence of a crystalline metallosilicate as a catalyst.

Abstract: A catalyst for producing an aryl ester of a carbonic or carboxylic acid is disclosed, which includes a microporous material containing a metal element belonging to group IV. This catalyst can be used as a heterogeneous catalyst to produce the aryl ester in high yield with industrial advantages. In order to produce the aryl ester using the catalyst, a carbonate or an aliphatic carboxylate is transesterified with an aromatic hydroxy compound, or an aryl carboxylate is transesterified with a carbonate, or an alkyl aryl carbonate is disproportionated by transesterification.

Abstract: A process is provided which comprises using a catalyst comprises a rare earth element supported on an inorganic heat-resisting carrier, when a monoethanolamine is selectively prepared by reacting an alkylene oxide with ammonia in a liquid phase. This catalyst has excellent monoalkanolamine selectivity and heat resistance; and therefore, even when the ratio of ammonia to the alkylene oxide is lower compared with cases where other catalysts are used, an equal or more amount of the monoalkanolamine can be formed, and thus the recovery cost of the unreacted ammonia is reduced. Further, since the total amount of the feed raw materials is reduced, apparatuses for the reaction system and recovery system can be made smaller, and thus the cost of equipment is reduced.

Abstract: A catalyst for producing an aryl ester, which includes a microporous material containing a metal element belonging to group IV, is described. This catalyst is insoluble and can be used as a heterogeneous catalyst, to produce an aryl ester in high yield with industrial advantages. In order to produce an aryl ester using the catalyst, a carbonate or an aliphatic carboxylate is transesterified with an aromatic hydroxy compound, or an aryl carboxylate is transesterified with a carbonate, or an alkyl aryl carbonate is disproportionated by transesterification.