Abstract: A polyalkylene ether glycol composition containing a nitrogen-containing compound, wherein the nitrogen-containing compound constitutes 0.2 to 40 mass ppm of the polyalkylene ether glycol in terms of nitrogen atoms. A method for producing the polyalkylene ether glycol composition through a purification step of decreasing the amount of acetal in the polyalkylene ether glycol composition.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing furfural, including: obtaining a sugar solution containing at least one of a monosaccharide having 5 carbon atoms and a polysaccharide containing the monosaccharide having 5 carbon atoms by carrying out a reaction with a specific resource as a raw material in the presence of a catalyst in a solvent; converting at least one of the monosaccharide and the polysaccharide containing the monosaccharide in the sugar solution into furfural by a dehydration reaction, so as to obtain a reaction solution; and separating the reaction solution into an organic layer and an aqueous layer, wherein an aromatic hydrocarbon solvent having a density of from 0.90 g/cm3 to 1.1 g/cm3 at 25° C. and under atmospheric pressure is used, and wherein the reaction solution is separated at a temperature higher than 90° C. and lower than 150° C.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide high-quality 1,4BG capable of working out to a raw material of PBT with good color tone, by efficiently removing and refining impurities mixed when producing a biomass-derived 1,4BG on an industrial scale and the present invention relates to a production method of refined 1,4BG, where a crude 1,4BG-containing solution is obtained from refined raw material 1,4BG obtained by removing bacterial cells, salt contents and water from the fermentation culture medium, through a step of removing high-boiling-point components and/or low-boiling-point components by distillation and/or a step of converting an unsaturated compound to a hydride and the target product is obtained as a side stream in a further distillation step.

Abstract: A 1,4-butanediol-containing composition having a concentration of 1,4-butanediol of 99.00% by weight or more and not more than 99.99% by weight and containing 2-pyrrolidone or N-methylpyrrolidone in a concentration, as converted into a nitrogen atom, of from 1.0 to 25 ppm by weight and methods of use thereof.

Abstract: At the time of producing a polyester by using a dicarboxylic acid component and a biomass-resource-derived diol as raw materials, a polyester is efficiently produced with good color tone, as the raw material diol derived from biomass resources, a diol in which the content of a cyclic carbonyl compound having a carbon atom number of 5 or 6 is from 0.01 to 12 ppm by mass, is used, and by controlling the content of a cyclic carbonyl compound having a carbon atom number of 5 or 6 in the raw material diol to fall in a prescribed range, the color tone of the polyester is improved.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for treating a solution containing a saccharide comprising a heat treatment step of heating the saccharide solution at a temperature of 100° C. or higher and 180° C. or lower and a reduction step of reacting a reducing agent with the saccharide solution heated in the heat treatment step, a method for producing a treated saccharide solution using the treatment method, a treated saccharide solution obtained through treatment by the treatment method, a method for producing an organic compound comprising an organic-matter production step of obtaining an organic compound by causing a microorganism capable of producing organic matter to act on an organic raw material containing the treated saccharide solution and a method for culturing a microorganism using the treated saccharide solution as a carbon source.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing furfural, including: obtaining a sugar solution containing at least one of a monosaccharide having 5 carbon atoms and a polysaccharide containing the monosaccharide having 5 carbon atoms by carrying out a reaction with a specific resource as a raw material in the presence of a catalyst in a solvent; converting at least one of the monosaccharide and the polysaccharide containing the monosaccharide in the sugar solution into furfural by a dehydration reaction, so as to obtain a reaction solution; and separating the reaction solution into an organic layer and an aqueous layer, wherein an aromatic hydrocarbon solvent having a density of from 0.90 g/cm3 to 1.1 g/cm3 at 25° C. and under atmospheric pressure is used, and wherein the reaction solution is separated at a temperature higher than 90° C. and lower than 150° C.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an industrially advantageous production method of 1,4BG, ensuring that generation of THF in the crude 1,4BG can be also suppressed and at the same time, the concentration of 2-(4-hydroxybutoxy)-tetrahydrofuran can be reduced. The present invention relates to a method for producing 1,4-butanediol, comprising heating crude 1,4-butanediol containing from 0.01 to 0.5 wt % of 2-(4-hydroxybutoxy)-tetrahydrofuran and from 1 to 25 wt % of water at 80° C. or more in the presence of an amine to obtain purified 1,4-butanediol.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing a hydride having a carbon number of 4, comprising contacting, in liquid phase, an unsaturated compound having a carbon number of 4 as a raw material with a solid catalyst obtained by loading a metal element belonging to Groups 9 to 11 of the long periodic table on a support, thereby performing hydrogenation to produce a corresponding hydride having a carbon number of 4, wherein hydrogenation is performed in the presence of, as a solvent, a 1,4-butanediol having a nitrogen component concentration of 1 ppm by weight to 1 wt % in terms of nitrogen atom.

Abstract: Provided are a method for treating a saccharide solution, which comprises subjecting a saccharide solution containing at least one selected from the group consisting of a carbonyl compound and an unsaturated alcohol other than a saccharide to hydrogenation reaction to hydrogenate the carbonyl compound and/or the unsaturated alcohol contained in the saccharide solution, a hydrogenated saccharide solution obtained by treating with the treatment method, and a method for producing an organic compound having a process of obtaining the organic compound by acting a microorganism having an organic material producing ability on an organic raw material containing the hydrogenated saccharide solution.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide high-purity gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) capable of preventing occurrence of reaction other than the object at the time of use, which reaction is caused due to a high acidity of GBL, and the present invention relates to a gamma-butyrolactone composition containing gamma-butyrolactone and a nitrogen-containing compound, wherein a content of the gamma-butyrolactone is 99.0% by mass or more, and a total content of the nitrogen-containing compound is 0.1 ppm by mass to 1,000 ppm by mass as converted to a nitrogen atom.

Abstract: The present invention is concerned with a method for producing tetrahydrofuran including carrying out a dehydration cyclization reaction of 1,4-butanediol in the presence of an acid catalyst having a pKa value of not more than 4 within a reactor, wherein a raw material liquid containing 1,4-butanediol to be provided for the reaction contains from 0.01 to 0.35% by weight of 2-(4-hydroxybutoxy)-tetrahydrofuran and 1 ppm by weight or more and not more than 1,000 ppm by weight of at least one of an amine and an amide in terms of a concentration as converted into a nitrogen atom.

Abstract: The present invention aims to provide a method for producing polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) with an excellent color using biomass-derived 1,4-butanediol (BG). The invention relates to a method for producing PBT comprising a step of subjecting a diol component containing raw material 1,4-BG having a nitrogen content of 0.01 to 50 ppm by mass and a dicarboxylic acid component to esterification or ester-exchange reaction, and a polycondensation reaction step for obtaining PBT from the reactant, wherein the content of gamma butyrolactone in the raw material 1,4-BG is 1 to 100 ppm by mass.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for treating a solution containing a saccharide comprising a heat treatment step of heating the saccharide solution at a temperature of 100° C. or higher and 180° C. or lower and a reduction step of reacting a reducing agent with the saccharide solution heated in the heat treatment step, a method for producing a treated saccharide solution using the treatment method, a treated saccharide solution obtained through treatment by the treatment method, a method for producing an organic compound comprising an organic-matter production step of obtaining an organic compound by causing a microorganism capable of producing organic matter to act on an organic raw material containing the treated saccharide solution and a method for culturing a microorganism using the treated saccharide solution as a carbon source.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing a hydride having a carbon number of 4, comprising contacting, in liquid phase, an unsaturated compound having a carbon number of 4 as a raw material with a solid catalyst obtained by loading a metal element belonging to Groups 9 to 11 of the long periodic table on a support, thereby performing hydrogenation to produce a corresponding hydride having a carbon number of 4, wherein hydrogenation is performed in the presence of, as a solvent, a 1,4-butanediol having a nitrogen component concentration of 1 ppm by weight to 1 wt % in terms of nitrogen atom.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide high-purity gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) capable of preventing occurrence of reaction other than the object at the time of use, which reaction is caused due to a high acidity of GBL, and the present invention relates to a gamma-butyrolactone composition containing gamma-butyrolactone and a nitrogen-containing compound, wherein a content of the gamma-butyrolactone is 99.0% by mass or more, and a total content of the nitrogen-containing compound is 0.1 ppm by mass to 1,000 ppm by mass as converted to a nitrogen atom.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing a hydride having a carbon number of 4, comprising contacting, in liquid phase, an unsaturated compound having a carbon number of 4 as a raw material with a solid catalyst obtained by loading a metal element belonging to Groups 9 to 11 of the long periodic table on a support, thereby performing hydrogenation to produce a corresponding hydride having a carbon number of 4, wherein hydrogenation is performed in the presence of, as a solvent, a 1,4-butanediol having a nitrogen component concentration of 1 ppm by weight to 1 wt % in terms of nitrogen atom.

Abstract: A 1,4-butanediol-containing composition having high thermal stability as compared with conventional 1,4BG, and a 1,4-butanediol-containing composition having a concentration of 1,4-butanediol of 99.00% by weight or more and not more than 99.99% by weight and containing an amide compound in a concentration, as converted into a nitrogen atom, of from 1.0 to 25 ppm by weight.

Abstract: A 1,4-butanediol (1,4BG)-containing composition having high thermal stability, and having a concentration of 1,4-butanediol of 99.00% by weight or more and not more than 99.99% by weight and 2-pyrrolidone or N-methylpyrrolidone in a concentration, as converted into a nitrogen atom, of from 1.0 to 25 ppm by weight.

Abstract: Provided are a method for treating a saccharide solution, which comprises subjecting a saccharide solution containing at least one selected from the group consisting of a carbonyl compound and an unsaturated alcohol other than a saccharide to hydrogenation reaction to hydrogenate the carbonyl compound and/or the unsaturated alcohol contained in the saccharide solution, a hydrogenated saccharide solution obtained by treating with the treatment method, and a method for producing an organic compound having a process of obtaining the organic compound by acting a microorganism having an organic material producing ability on an organic raw material containing the hydrogenated saccharide solution.