Abstract: An economic process for thermally dewatering a solid carbonaceous material containing substantial amounts of chemically attached water is disclosed. The process is capable of economically removing up to 95% of the chemically attached water in the disclosed process.

Abstract: A process for the production of predetermined variable amounts of diphenylamine and aniline from a feedstock consisting essentially of phenol and ammonia is disclosed. The process involves catalytically reacting phenol and ammonia to produce aniline in situ and then reacting part of the aniline with other phenol and aniline to produce DPA, with the remaining aniline being removed from the reaction media as product.

Abstract: Isobutane in a C.sub.4 hydrocarbon feed stream is converted to methacrolein in an integrated two-step process. Isobutane is dehydrogenated in a first step to isobutylene, hydrogen, and by-products and the reaction effluent is passed directly into a second step where isobutylene is oxidized to methacrolein without significant oxidation of the hydrogen and by-products. Any normal butenes present are converted to butadiene. The methacrolein and by-products may be separated and the unreacted isobutylene and isobutane recycled to the first step. Alternatively, the effluent from the second step may be used as feed to a further oxidation step for conversion of methacrolein to methacrylic acid.

Abstract: A catalyst composition useful for the oxidation of olefins, particularly the vapor phase oxidation of isobutylene and/or tertiary butyl alcohol to produce methacrolein, consists essentially of the combination of oxides of molybdenum, cobalt, iron, bismuth, thallium, antimony, silicon, and nickel, along with one or more members of the groups consisting of the alkali metals, the alkaline earth metals, the rare earth metals including lanthanum, tungsten, and mixtures thereof. The catalyst has a BET surface area within the range of about 0.5-10 m.sup.2 /gm and preferably within the range of about 2-6 m.sup.2 /gm. Preferably, the catalyst has no more than about 3% of the surface area associated with pores smaller than about 100 .ANG.. The catalyst is heated during its preparation to a temperature above 525.degree. C., preferably above 550.degree. C., most preferably to about 600.degree. C.

Abstract: Tarry residues often are formed in carbonylation reactions, such as those in which esters or ethers are carbonylated to produce ethylidene diacetate or carboxylic acid anhydrides, such as acetic anhydride. Such residues contain Group VIII noble metal catalysts, typically rhodium, which must be separated before the residues can be disposed of. In the process of the invention, the residues are extracted with solvents which preferentially dissolve the tars. Preferred solvents include alkanes, cycloalkanes, halogenated alkanes, and aromatic hydrocarbons, particularly cyclohexane, carbon tetrachloride, and toluene. Separation of the residues from the noble metal catalyst by solvent extraction makes possible the disposal of the residues and the return of the noble metals to the reaction for reuse.

Abstract: Tarry residues often are formed in carbonylation reactions, such as those in which esters or ethers are carbonylated to produce ethylidene diacetate or carboxylic acid anhydrides, such as acetic anhydride. Such residues contain Group VIII noble metal catalysts, typically rhodium, which must be separated before the residues can be disposed of. In the process of the invention, a portion of the carbonylation reaction mixture is flashed to a lower pressure and the resulting residues-containing liquid is extracted with solvents which preferentially remove the tars. The tars are separated from the solvents and disposed of while the solvents are recycled for further use. The catalyst-containing liquid is processed to remove residual solvent and returned to the carbonylation reaction.

Abstract: The present invention is concerned with the treatment of reaction mixtures which result from the metal catalyzed epoxidation of olefinically unsaturated compounds to the corresponding oxirane compound using organic hydroperoxides.