Abstract: Palladium values are separated from the products of reaction resulting from the carbonylation of a conjugated diene with carbon monoxide in the presence of an alcohol, a halogenated hydracid and a palladium catalyst, by (i) contacting the carbonylation reaction medium with a nitrogen, phosphorus or arsenic quaternary onium salt, a polar alcohol and an apolar, aliphatic or cycloaliphatic hydrocarbon solvent, and permitting the resulting admixture to phase separate into an alcohol phase and an organic phase; (ii) decanting/separating said alcohol phase from said organic phase; (iii) recovering the palladium values and the quaternary onium salt from said alcohol phase; and (iv) recovering the products of carbonylation from said organic phase.

Abstract: Esters, e.g., alkyl adipates, are facilely prepared by carbonylation among an alcohol, carbon monoxide and a monoolefin, e.g., an alkyl pentenoate, in the presence of a catalytically effective amount of cobalt and a tertiary nitrogen base, and optionally hydrogen, said reaction being carried out in an aromatic hydrocarbon reaction medium bearing from 1 to 3 nuclear substituents, and said substituents comprising cyano or a radical of the formula R--Y-- having up to 20 carbon atoms, wherein Y is a direct valence bond, an oxygen atom, a sulfur atom, a carbonyl group or a carbonyloxy group (--CO--O--), with R being bonded to the oxygen of the group --CO--O--, and R is alkyl, aralkyl or or aryl, or a cyano substituted such R--Y-- radical, or a radical R--Y-- which includes one of the divalent bridges --O--, --CO-- or --CO--O-- along its skeletal carbon chain, with the proviso that at least one of said substituents is either cyano or a radical R--Y-- wherein Y is other than a direct valence bond.

Abstract: Type A, especially type 4A zeolites are well adapted as detergent builders, said zeolites comprising (i) primary particles having a mean particle diameter ranging from 0.1 to 10.mu., (ii) a cation exchange capacity in excess of about 100 mg CaCO.sub.3 /g of anhydrous material, and (iii) a rate constant, relative to the surface area of the zeolite per liter of wash solution, in excess of about 0.15 s.sup.-1 lm.sup.-2. The builders are prepared by first determining the value of the rate constant for a given zeolite sample. Since a higher rate constant value corresponds to a lower degree of salt incrustation on fabrics, only those zeolites having a value above the predetermined minimum will be incorporated into detergents. Thus, zeolites otherwise appearing identical can be differentiated, with only those not causing high levels of incrustation being selected.

Abstract: Novel granular particulates of sodium metasilicate, well adapted for improved detergency applications, are comprised of a central core of essentially anhydrous sodium metasilicate and a core-enveloping sheath of sodium metasilicate pentahydrate therefor, the amount of water which comprises said sodium metasilicate pentahydrate comprising at least 10% by weight, and advantageously from 10 to 20 or 25% by weight, of the total weight of said particulates.

Abstract: Methyl acetate is carbonylated, advantageously to acetic anhydride, in a homogeneous liquid phase, advantageously in a virtually anhydrous reaction medium, in the presence of (a) a cobalt source, (b) a source of iron in the zero oxidation state, (c) an ionic iodide of the formula A.sup.+ I.sup.- in which A.sup.+ is a nitrogen group quaternary onium cation, or an alkali metal cation, and, (d) if appropriate, a carboxylate of the formula A'.sup.n+ (OCOR).sub.n.sup.-, in which n is 1 or 2 and A'.sup.n+ is defined as was A.sup.+, or is an alkaline earth metal cation, with A'.sup.n+ and A.sup.+ either being the same or different, and R is an alkyl, aralkyl or aryl radical having a maximum of 8 carbon atoms, with the total amount of halogen compounds present in the carbonylation reaction medium (expressed in gram atoms of halogen and designated by X.sub.T) being such that the atomic ratio X.sub.T /(A.sup.+ +n.A'.sup.n+) is less than or equal to 1.

Abstract: Alkyl adipates are prepared by reacting an alcohol and carbon monoxide with an alkyl pentenoate in the presence of (i) a catalytically effective amount of a cobalt catalyst, (ii) a tertiary nitrogen base, and (iii) hydrogen, with the hydrogen comprising at least 0.1% by volume of the carbon monoxide, and said reaction being carried out in (iv) an aromatic hydrocarbon or substituted aromatic hydrocarbon reaction medium.

Abstract: Carboxylic acid anhydrides of the formula RCO--O--COR', e.g., acetic anhydride, are facilely prepared by reacting, in an essentially anhydrous, liquid phase containing an aprotic organic solvent, (i) a compound of the formula RX, (ii) a carboxylate of the formula (R'COO.sup.-).sub.n A.sup.n+, and (iii) carbon monoxide, said reaction being carried out in the presence of a catalytically effective amount of a salt of cobalt tetracarbonyl halide, at a temperature ranging from about 0.degree. to 200.degree. C. and under a pressure which is less than or equal to about 600 bars.

Abstract: Methyl acetate is carbonylated, advantageously to acetic anhydride, in a homogeneous liquid phase, in a virtually anhydrous reaction medium, in the presence of: (a) a cobalt source, (b) a ruthenium source, (c) an ionic iodide of the formula: A.sup.m+ I.sub.m.sup.- in which A.sup.m+ is a nitrogen group quaternary onium cation, an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal cation, or a lanthanide or actinide group metal cation, (c') if appropriate, a carboxylate of the formula: A'.sup.n+ (OCOR).sub.n.sup.-, in which n is 1 or 2 and A'.sup.n+ is defined as was A.sup.m+, with A'.sup.n+ and A.sup.m+ either being the same or different, and R is an alkyl, aralkyl or aryl radical having a maximum of 8 carbon atoms, and (d) hydrogen, the total amount of halogen compounds present in the carbonylation reaction medium (expressed in gram atoms of halogen and designated by X.sub.T) being such that the atomic ratio X.sub.T /(m.A.sup.m+ +n.A'.sup.n+) is less than or equal to 1.

Abstract: Linear saturated diesters, e.g., dialkyl adipates, are prepared by carbonylating an .alpha.,.beta.-unsaturated ester, e.g., an alkyl pent-2-enoate, with carbon monoxide and an alcohol, in the presence of a cobalt catalyst and a tertiary nitrogen-containing base.

Abstract: Sulfonated triarylphosphines well suited for catalysis are facilely prepared by (i) sulfonating the aromatic moieties of a corresponding triarylphosphine starting material with an H.sub.2 SO.sub.4 /SO.sub.3 mixture; (ii) hydrolyzing the sulfonation reaction mixture to terminate said sulfonation reaction when same has attained the desired degree of sulfonation, thereby producing a hydrolysate rich in sulfuric acid and which comprises the product sulfonated triarylphosphine; (iii) next liquid/liquid extracting said hydrolysate with an organic phase comprising at least one phosphoric or diphosphoric, phosphonic or diphosphonic, phosphinic or diphosphinic ester, or phosphine oxide or diphosphine dioxide, or slightly water miscible or immiscible C.sub.4 -C.sub.

Abstract: Polymeric, advantageously elastomeric, e.g., natural or synthetic rubber, matrices including a reinforcing amount of a filler therefor, e.g., inorganic particulates, further comprise, as an interfacing additive between the matrix and the reinforcing filler, the condensation product of at least one polyamine with at least one carboxylic acid.

Abstract: Esters of .beta.,.gamma.-unsaturated carboxylic acids are prepared by (i) carbonylating a conjugated diene with carbon monoxide in the presence of an alcohol, a halogenated hydracid and a palladium catalyst; (ii) distilling the carbonylation reaction product in the presence of an ammonium, phosphonium or arsonium quaternary onium chloride or bromide having a melting point below the temperature at which the carbonylation reaction is carried out, and at a temperature and pressure such that said reaction product separates into a gaseous phase and a homogeneous liquid phase; (iii) recovering said gaseous phase comprising the ester of the .beta.,.gamma.