Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the preparation of acetylene and synthesis gas by thermal treatment of a starting mixture containing one or more hydrocarbons and in addition molecular oxygen and/or one or more compounds containing the element oxygen, in which the starting mixture is heated, brought to reaction in a reactor and subsequently cooled. The process has the special feature that the starting mixture is heated to a maximum of 1400° C. It is then possible to carry out the process with comparatively little expenditure of energy.

Abstract: A process for preparing tocopheryl esters or tocotrienyl esters by acid-catalyzed esterification of a tocopherol or a tocotrienol in a solvent while stirring at elevated temperature, which comprises a) carrying out the esterification with the appropriate carboxylic acid, b) carrying out the esterification with from 2.5 to 6 mol of the carboxylic acid in an aliphatic, cycloaliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon boiling in the range from 80 to 200° C., or else with from 1.0 to 2.5 mol of the carboxylic acid in a mixture consisting of an aliphatic or cycloaliphatic hydrocarbon boiling in the range from 80 to 200° C.

Abstract: A suspending agent-containing slurry is disclosed which comprises a dispersant and a particulate suspending agent having a particle size distribution in which the particle diameter at weight-cumulative 95%, from the minimum particle size, is 1 &mgr;m or smaller. A method for efficiently producing the suspending agent-containing slurry is also disclosed. A process for suspension polymerization by use of the suspending agent-containing slurry is further disclosed. The slurry not only has such an excellent suspending ability in suspension polymerization that it enables the production of vinyl polymer beads having a narrow bead size distribution, but also is capable of retaining this ability over long and of exhibiting the same ability even when it has a high concentration. The suspension polymerization process enables vinyl polymer beads having a narrow bead size distribution to be produced efficiently due to the use of the slurry.

Abstract: Aromatic hydrocarbons are nitrated by a process in which the aromatic hydrocarbon is reacted in the liquid phase with an oxide of nitrogen selected from NO, N2O3, NO2 and N2O4 and with an oxygen-containing gas stream in the presence of a heterogeneous oxidic catalyst, wherein at least 0.1 mol %, based on the aromatic hydrocarbon, of water is present at the beginning of the reaction.

Abstract: Disclosed are polymerizable liquid-crystalline compounds of the general formula (I) 1

Abstract: A process for preparing nitrobiphenyls of the formula I where m is 1 or 2, R is halogen R′ or OR′, where R′ is a C-organic radical which may carry groups inert under the reaction conditions, n is 0, 1, 2 or 3, and, in the case of n being 2 or 3, the radicals R are the same or different, by reacting a chloronitrobenzene of the formula II in the presence of a palladium catalyst and a base in a solvent with a phenylboronic acid (IIIa) or an alkyl ester thereof of the formula IIIb where R1 is C1-C6-alkyl, or an anhydride thereof. The compounds I are useful as precursors for biphenylamines, which in turn are intermediates for fungicidal crop protection agents.

Abstract: The invention thus provides a curable coating composition comprising (A) a polymer resin comprising active hydrogen-containing functional group other than carbamate, (B) a curing agent having groups that are reactive with said functional groups on (A), and (C) a reactive additive comprising at least one compound having a molecular weight of from 131 to 2000 and comprising at least one &bgr;-hydroxy primary carbamate group and at least one alkyl group selected from the group consisting of straight chain alkyl groups of more than 10 carbons, branched alkyl groups of from 5 to 30 carbons, and mixtures thereof, wherein one or both of (A) and (B) comprise groups that are reactive with the primary carbamate group of (C). The invention also provides a method of making a preferred embodiment of the reactive additive (C) and the reactive additive (C).

Abstract: A powder slurry coating composition is prepared by adding individual particulate materials including at least one resin powder to an aqueous medium and then milling the dispersed particulate materials to produce a median particle size of up to about 15 microns. The powder slurry coating composition is used to prepare a coating on a substrate. The coating is equivalent to coatings obtained from powder slurry coating compositions in which the powder is produced by melt mixing in an extruder and grinding the extrudate.

Abstract: Optically transparent polymeric solid electrolytes comprising a polymeric binder, a filler, a conductive salt, an ion-solvating plasticizer and, if desired, further additives and auxiliaries, a process for the preparation of solid electrolytes of this type, by compounding and thermoplastic shaping, and their use in electrochromic systems and displays.

Abstract: A cyclic lactam and a cyclic amine are coproduced by reacting an aliphatic alpha, omega-diamine with water in the gas phase in the presence of a heterogeneous catalyst.

Abstract: A process for cooling, demonomerizing and dedusting gas from a thermoplastic polymer drier includes directing the gas, containing thermoplastic polymer dust, monomers and water, into a packed column with a packing and washing the gas with a solvent.

Abstract: Aromatic hydrocarbons are nitrated by a process in which the aromatic hydrocarbon is reacted in the liquid phase with an oxide of nitrogen selected from NO, N2O3, NO2 and N2O4 and with an oxygen-containing gas stream in the presence of a heterogeneous oxidic catalyst, wherein at least 0.1 mol %, based on the aromatic hydrocarbon, of water is present at the beginning of the reaction.

Abstract: Double-metal cyanide catalysts of the formula M1a[M2(CN)b(A)c]d. fM1gXn. h (H2O).

Abstract: A cyclic lactam and a cyclic amine are coproduced by coreacting an aliphatic alpha, omega-diamine and an aliphatic alpha, omega-aminonitrile with water in the gas phase in the presence of a heterogeneous catalyst.

Abstract: Polyamides are produced by reacting aminocarboxylic acid compounds of the general formula I H2N—(CH2)m—COR1  (I) where R1 is OH, O—C1-12-alkyl or NR2R3, where R2 and R3 are independently hydrogen, C1-12-alkyl or C5-8-cycloalkyl, and m is an integer from 3 to 12, optionally in a mixture with aminonitriles and their hydrolysis products and optionally in the presence of water, in a liquid phase at elevated pressure and elevated temperature in the presence of metal oxides as heterogeneous catalysts, the metal oxides being used in a form which permits mechanical removal from the reaction mixture and being removed from the reaction mixture during or after the polymerization.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of 1,2-dichloroethane by oxychlorination of ethene in the presence of a copper-containing fixed-bed catalyst comprising a bed essentially consisting of catalyst particles which comprise, at least partially, support material impregnated with an active component and, if desired, a promoter, where the catalyst bed comprises essentially no separate inert material for dilution.

Abstract: Compounds of the formula I and salts thereof, in which the substituents and the index n have the following meanings: Q is —C(═CHCH3)—COOCH3, —C(═CHOCH3)—COOCH3, —C(═NOCH3)—COOCH3 or —C(═NOCH3)—CONH(CH3); R1 is hydrogen, halogen, C1-C4-alkyl, C1-C2-haloalkyl, C1-C4-alkoxy or C1-C2-haloalkoxy; R2 is halogen, C1-C4-alkyl, C1-C2-haloalkyl, C1-C4-alkoxy; n is 0, 1 or 2, where the substituents R2 may be different if n=2; R3 is phenyl, pyridyl or pyrimidyl, compositions comprising them and the use of the compounds I and the compositions for controlling harmful fungi and animal pests are described.

Abstract: In a process for preparing polytetrahydrofuran, polytetrahydrofuran copolymers or diesters or monoesters thereof comprises polymerizing tetrahydrofuran in the presence of at least one telogen and/or comonomer over an acid-activated calcium montmorillonite as catalyst, the calcium montmorillonite has a BET surface area of at least 300 m2/g, an acidity of at least 0.02 mmol/g at pKa<−3 and a pore volume of at least 0.40 cm3/g for pore sizes in the range from 30 to 200 Å.

Abstract: Phthalides in as-obtained phthalide synthesis reaction mixtures are recovered in pure form by (a) distilling compounds having a boiling point below the boiling point of the phthalide from the reaction mixture, provided such compounds are present in the reaction mixture, to obtain a crude phthalide as bottom product, (b) crystallizing the phthalide from a melt of the crude phthalide.

Abstract: A process for isolating isobutene from a hydrocarbon mixture by a) combining the C4-hydrocarbon mixture with a primary C3- or C4-alkanol; b) reacting the isobutene in the C4-hydrocarbon mixture with the primary C3- or C4-alkanol in the presence of a heterogeneous catalyst to give the corresponding tertiary ether of isobutene, c) separating the resultant reaction mixture into the relatively low-boiling, unetherified C4-hydrocarbons and the relatively higher-boiling tertiary ether of isobutene with the aid of a distillation column, where the C4-hydrocarbons are taken off at the top, and the tertiary ether of isobutene obtained at the bottom is transferred into a reactor, d) cleaving this ether into isobutene and the corresponding primary C3- or C4-alkanol, e) distilling this mixture from d) in a further distillation column, and taking off the isobutene as the top product, which comprises carrying out step a) in a zone (4C) containing reactive internals and containing the catalyst for carrying out step b)