Abstract: This invention relates to an improvement in a liquid phase process for producing isopropanol by the hydrogenation of acetone in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst; the improvement comprising; contacting acetone with hydrogen under continuous liquid phase conditions; and, employing a sponge metal catalyst promoted with an effective amount of chromium.

Abstract: A continuous process for the production of dimethylformamide comprising the steps: (a) reacting methyl formate and dimethylamine in a reactive distillation column under conditions to form dimethylformamide and by-product methanol; (b) vaporizing the by-product methanol and generating a liquid dimethylformamide while in said reactive distillation column; (c) removing at least a major portion of the by-product methanol as an overhead from said reactive distillation column; (d) removing a crude liquid dimethylformamide containing residual by-product methanol as a bottoms fraction from said reactive distillation column; (e) introducing said bottoms fraction containing dimethylformamide and residual by-product methanol to a purification column wherein the by-product methanol is removed from said dimethylformamide as an overhead and purified dimethylformamide is removed as a bottoms fraction; and, optionally, (f) recycling the by-product methanol removed as an overhead from the purification column to the reac

Abstract: A method for racemizing an enantiomer of an alkoxyamine represented by formula I ##STR1## in which R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are the same or different C.sub.1 to C.sub.20 alkyl group. A feed containing an enantiomer of the alkoxyamine is passed over a nickel or cobalt catalyst in the presence of hydrogen and ammonia. The racemic mixture formed by this method contains substantially no by-products.