Abstract: Flexographic printing plates are produced by thermal development by a process in which an imagewise exposed flexographic printing element is developed by heating and removing the softened, unpolymerized parts of the relief-forming layer, the flexographic printing element used comprising an olefin/(meth)acrylate copolymer having an olefin content of from 50 to 94 mol %. The photopolymerizable flexographic printing element comprises an olefin/(meth)acrylate copolymer having a content of from 50 to 94 mol % of olefin monomers, from 6 to 50 mol % of (meth)acrylate monomers and from 0 to 5 mol % of further comonomers. This flexographic printing element is used for the production of flexographic printing plates both by thermal development and by development by means of washout compositions.

Abstract: Process for the carbonylation of n-pentenoic acid or its derivatives of the formula (I) C4H7—R1??(I) where R1 is —CN or COOR2 where R2 is hydrogen, alkyl or aryl by reaction of a compound of the formula (I) with carbon monoxide and a compound (II) containing a hydroxyl group in the presence of a catalyst system, wherein the catalyst system is obtainable by reaction of a) a source for a metal ion of a metal (III) of the 8th subgroup of the Periodic Table of the Elements with b) a bidentate phosphine ligand of the formula (IV) (R3R4R5C)(R6R7R8C)P-L1-X-L2-P(CR9R10R11) (CR12R13R14)??(IV) where R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8, R9, R10, R11, R12, R13, R14 independently of one another is an organic radical which in each case contains a carbon atom, via which the respective radical is linked to the relevant tertiary carbon atom mentioned in formula (IV); L1, L2 independently of one another are a lower alkylene group; X is an arylene group.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for obtaining anhydrous or substantially anhydrous formic acid, in which firstly aqueous formic acid is produced by hydrolysis of methyl formate, with the methanol content in the methyl formate having been reduced in advance. The process according to the invention has the special feature that—before the hydrolysis of the methyl formate—the methanol content of the methanol-containing methyl formate is reduced in a distillation column, this distillation column simultaneously being employed for other separation functions during work-up of the formic acid.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for obtaining anhydrous or substantially anhydrous formic acid in which, during the work-up, a compound of the general formula I where the radicals R1 and R2 are alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl or aralkyl groups, or R1 and R2 jointly, together with the N atom, form a heterocyclic 5- or 6-membered ring, and only one of the radicals is an aryl group, and where R3 is hydrogen or a C1-C4-alkyl group, is employed simultaneously as extractant for formic acid and as antifoam for a distillation process.

Abstract: Substituted monocyclopentadienyl, monoindenyl, monofluorenyl and heterocyclopentadienyl complexes of chromium, molybdenum or tungsten in which at least one of the substituents on the cyclopentadienyl ring carries a donor function which is bonded rigidly, not exclusively via sp3-hybridized carbon or silicon atoms, and a process for the polymerization of olefins.

Abstract: A reactor (1) of high cylindrical construction for continuously carrying out gas-liquid, liquid-liquid or gas-liquid-solid reactions, provided with a downward-directed jet nozzle (2) via which the starting materials and the reaction mixture are fed in and which is located in the upper region of the reactor, and provided with an offtake (3), preferably in the lower region of the reactor, via which the reaction mixture is conveyed via an external circuit back to the jet nozzle (2) by means of a pump (P), wherein a guide tube (4) which extends essentially over the total length of the reactor (1) with the exception of the reactor ends and has a cross-sectional area in the range from one tenth to one half of the cross-sectional area of the reactor (1) is located concentrically in the reactor (1), and the jet nozzle (2) is located above the upper end of the guide tube (4), preferably at a distance of from one eighth of the guide tube diameter to one guide tube diameter, or projects into the guide tube (4) to a dept

Abstract: The graft copolymer made from a1: from 10 to 90% by weight of a particulate graft base A1, made from a particulate emulsion polymer with a glass transition temperature below 0° C.

Abstract: Thermoplastic molding materials containing the following ingredients with regard to components A-F: A) 5-70 wt. % of at least one graft copolymer A) consisting of a rubber elastic base with a glass transition temperature below 0° and a grafted overlay made of a styrene compound and acrylonitrile or methacrylonitrile or mixture thereof in addition to, optionally, other monoethylenically unsaturated monomers, B) 29-90 wt. % of a hard copolymer made of at least one styrene compound, acrylonitrile or methacrylonitrile or mixtures thereof and, optionally, other monoethylenically unsaturated monomers, C) 0-5 wt. % of at least one three-block copolymer X-Y-X with a middle block Y propylenoxide units and terminal block X made of ethyleneoxide units, D) 0.01-5 wt. % of at least one butylated reaction product of cresol with dicyclopentadiene, E) 0.01-5 wt. % of at least one thiocarboxylic acid ester, F) 0.01-5 wt.

Abstract: In a process for the hydroformylation of ethylenically unsaturated compounds, at least one ethylenically unsaturated compound is reacted with carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the presence of a ligand-metal complex of ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, iridium and/or platinum, where the ligand-metal complex comprises a monophosphine, monophosphinite or monophosphinamidite ligand of the formula I where A together with the phosphorus atom to which it is bound forms a 2-phosphatricyclo[3.3.1.1{3,7}]decyl radical in which one or more nonadjacent carbon atoms may be replaced by heteroatoms and which may be substituted, and R′ is hydrogen or an organic radical having a molecular weight of up to 20 000 bound via a carbon atom or oxygen atom or nitrogen atom. The process is particularly useful for the hydroformylation of internal branched olefins and lower pressures and/or temperatures are required in the hydroformylation than when using other phosphorus ligands.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the production of isocyanates by reaction of primary amines with phosgene, in which isocyanate is used as solvent, wherein some or all of isocyanate used as solvent is added to the reaction mixture only after the amine and phosgene have been physically combined.

Abstract: In a process for purification of ethylene oxide by distillation an aqueous mixture comprising ethylene oxide, formaldehyde and at least 5% by weight of water is introduced via a feed into a distillation apparatus comprising at least one distillation column, the mixture being introduced at a height above the bottom of at least 8 theoretical stages, the ethylene oxide is taken off at the top and in the bottom phase a mixture is obtained which contains less than 5% by weight of ethylene oxide.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the gas-phase hydrogenation of C4-dicarboxylic acids and/or their derivatives over a catalyst based on copper oxide to give substituted or unsubstituted &ggr;-butyrolactone and/or tetrahydrofuran, which comprises, which a first reaction zone in which the C4-dicarboxylic acid and/or its derivatives is/are reacted to give a mixture comprising a substituted or unsubstituted &ggr;-butyrolactone as main product and a subsequent second reaction zone in which the substituted or unsubstituted &ggr;-butyrolactone present in the mixture from the first hydrogenation step is reacted at a temperature lower than the temperature in the first hydrogenation step to give substituted or unsubstituted tetrahydrofuran.

Abstract: The invention relates to 3-(heterocyclyl)-substituted benzoylpyrazois of formula (I), wherein the variables have the following meanings: X is O, NH or N-alkyl; R1 is alkyl; R2, R3, R4, R5 are hydrogen, alkyl or alkyl halide; R6 is halogen, nitro, alkyl halide, alkoxy, halogenalkoxy, alkylthio, halogenalkylthio, alkylsulfonyl or halogenalkylsulfonyl; R7 is hydroxy, alkoxy, alkenyloxy, alkylsulfonyloxy, alkylcarboyloxy, alkylthiocarbonyloxy, phenylsulfonyloxy or phenylcarbonyloxy, and the phenyl radical can be substituted; R8, R9 are alkyl; R10 is hydrogen or alkyl; and R11 is hydrogen or alkyl; and to their agriculturally useable salts. The invention also relates to intermediate products and methods for producing the inventive compounds and to the use of these compounds or products containing them for combating undesirable plants.

Abstract: The present invention relates to oil suspension concentrates based on 2-{1-[2-(4-chlorophenoxy)propoxyimino]butyl}-3-hydroxy-5-(tetrahydrothiopyran-3-yl)cyclohex-2-enone lithium salt and certain formulation auxiliaries and to the use of the oil suspension concentrates as crop protection compositions and in particular as rice herbicides. Preferred formulation auxiliaries are mono- and/or dicarboxylic esters, for example fluid fatty acid esters, anionic surfactants of the sulfonate type, for example alkyl- and alkylarylsulfonates and also sulfosuccinates, and nonionic surfactants of the type of the nonethoxylated or ethoxylated carboxylic acids and esters of mono- or polyfunctional alcohols, for example ethoxylated fatty acids and polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid esters. The oil suspension concentrates described herein are storage-stable and have excellent use properties.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for preparing 2-cyclopentenones of the general formula: where R1 to R4 are each hydrogen atoms or are alkyl or alkenyl radicals having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl or cycloalkenyl radicals having from 5 to 7 carbon atoms, aralkylene or aryl radicals, by converting hexenedioic acids and/or their esters of the general formulae where R1 to R4 are each as defined above and R5 and R6 are each hydrogen atoms or are alkyl radicals having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl radicals having 5 or 6 carbon atoms, aralkyl or aryl radicals, at temperatures of from 150 to 450° C., over solid, oxidic catalysts, wherein the catalysts on an oxidic support material comprise from 0.01 to 5% by weight of at least one alkali metal oxide.

Abstract: A description is given of epoxide hydrolases from bacteria of the genus Streptomyces, a novel process for the enzymatic separation of epoxide enantiomeric mixtures, of a novel detection method for epoxide hydrolase activity, a screening method for detecting epoxide hydrolase activity and the use of bacteria of the genus Streptomyces and of the resultant epoxide hydrolases for enantioselective epoxide hydrolysis.

Abstract: Carotenoid aggregates are useful as colorants for foods and for cosmetic and pharmaceutical preparations.

Abstract: A process is provided for reducing the content of a monounsaturated aliphatic amine (III) in a mixture (IV) containing an aminonitrile (I) or a diamine (II), or mixtures thereof, and the amine (III), wherein a) the mixture (IV) is reacted with an anionic nucleophile (V),  which contains a nucleophilic atom selected from the group comprising oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur,  which is capable of taking up an H+ ion to form an acid with a pKa ranging from 7 to 11, measured in water at 25° C., and  which has a relative nucleophilicity, measured in methyl perchlorate/methanol at 25° C.,  ranging from 3.4 to 4.7 when oxygen is the nucleophilic atom,  ranging from 4.5 to 5.8 when nitrogen is the nucleophilic atom, and  ranging from 5.5 to 6.8 when sulfur is the nucleophilic atom,  in an amount ranging from 0.

Abstract: A method of automated preparation and characterization of liquid multicomponent systems comprising at least two, preferably three components comprises the automated preparation of a mixture by combining at least two, preferably three components in a vessel, at least one component being metered in an automated fashion into the vessel, and the automated homogenization of the mixture with subsequent automated measuring and evaluation. The apparatus for conducting this method comprises at least one metering station, one closing station, one homogenizing station, one measuring station for determining formulation properties, and one evaluation unit.

Abstract: Higher &agr;,&bgr;-unsaturated alcohols are prepared by monoethynylation of a ketone by the NH3/KOH method, if desired hydrogenation of the acetylene alcohol in the presence of hydrogen over a Pd-containing thin layer catalyst, purifying distillation of the hydrogenation product, preferably in a dividing wall column with recirculation of the unreacted ketone to the ethynylation step, and, if desired, preparation of higher alcohols having in each case 5 more carbon atoms in the chain by reacting the alcohols prepared by monoethynylation and, if desired, partial hydrogenation with alkyl acetoacetates diketene in a Carroll reaction to form ketones and using these as starting materials for the steps ethynylation, optional hydrogenation and fractional distillation.