Abstract: A process for preparing 2-hydroxycarboxylic esters having a quaternary &bgr;-carbon atom by reaction of glycidyl esters with an organoaluminum reagent is described.

Abstract: The present invention provides a supported osmate useful as a reusable catalyst in the preparation of vicinal diols. The present invention also relates to a process for the preparation of supported osmates of the formula (S—NR3)2OsO4.nH2O wherein S is a support, R is an alkyl group, n is the number of water molecules and use thereof in the preparation of vicinal diols by asymmetric dihydroxylation (AD) of olefins in presence of cinchona alkaloid compounds.

Abstract: Benzene, ascorbic acid acting as a reducing agent, and a vanadium-supported alumina catalyst are placed in an aqueous solution of acetic acid used as a solvent, and the reaction is carried out under an oxygen gas atmosphere having a pressure of at least 0.3 MPa so as to directly oxidize benzene and, thus, to obtain phenol at a high yield of at least 8%.

Abstract: Novel metal salts of binaphthol derivative are provided. The metal salts of the present invention are those represented by the formula of either (1) or (2): The present invention also provides a method for preparing the same from the corresponding binaphthalene derivative.

Abstract: A process for separating sulfonic acid compounds from a phenolic solvent is provided by contacting the phenolic solvent with a hydrotalcite-type material (HTM). The process can be applied in the conventional industrial process for converting cumene to phenol to remove sulfonic acid compounds from the phenol product. A process and a facility for producing purified phenol by converting cumene to phenol are provided. In the conversion of cumene to phenol, the phenol often contains carbonyl-type impurities. The phenol and carbonyl-type impurities are reacted in the presence of a sulfonic acid cation exchange resin catalyst (IER) to produce a reaction product that may contain sulfonic acid compounds. The reaction product is contacted with an HTM to reduce the amount of sulfonic acid compounds which may be present and to produce a purified phenol-containing stream. The purified phenol-containing stream may be further purified using conventional separation techniques, such as distillation.

Abstract: A 2,6-dichlorophenol compound of formula (1): wherein R represents a 3,3-dihalo-2-propenyl group or a benzyl group optionally substituted by halogen atom(s), can be produced by making a phenol compound of formula (2): wherein R has the same meaning mentioned above, react with sulfuryl chloride in the presence of a secondary amine in high yield. The obtained 2,6-dichlorophenol compound of formula (1) is useful as intermediate for producing dihalopropene compounds having insecticidal/acaricidal activity.

Abstract: A method for the manufacture of bisphenols comprises introducing a combined feed stream comprising a feed stream and a recycle stream into a reactor system comprising at least one reactor containing a catalytic proportion of an acid catalyst and wherein the combined feed stream comprises a carbonyl compound and a stoichiometric excess of phenol; removing from the reactor system a reactor effluent; splitting the reactor effluent into a crystallization feed stream and an effluent recycle stream; extracting from said crystallization feed stream a bisphenol adduct, remainder comprising a mother liquor stream; dehydrating said mother liquor stream and said effluent recycle stream in a dehydrator wherein excess water and carbonyl compound are removed; and recycling the dehydrated mother liquor and the dehydrated effluent recycle stream back to the combined feed stream to effect improved production of p,p-bisphenol, along with increased reactor selectivity and reduced promoter quantities.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for preparing phenols, in which the pH of the reaction product from the acid-catalyzed cleavage of alkylaryl hydroperoxides is set to a value of at least 8 at a temperature of at least 100° C. prior to the work-up of the product. This measure enables the content of undesirable by-products, e.g. hydroxyacetone, in the cleavage product to be significantly reduced. This procedure is particularly advantageously integrated into a process for preparing phenols by: a) acid-catalyzed cleavage of alkylaryl hydroperoxides and b) thermal after-treatment of the cleavage product from step a), with the temperature in step b) being higher than in step a) and is at least 100° C., wherein the adjustment to a pH of at least 8 is carried out after the thermal after-treatment and prior to cooling of the cleavage product.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for producing perfluoroolefins of the formula CF(R1f)═CF2, where R1f is F or CF3. The process involves (a) perfluorinating cyclobutanes of the formula where R2f is F or CF3, and where one R1 is H and the other R1 is H when R1f is F and is CH3 when R1f is CF3, by the Simons electrochemical fluorination process in an electrochemical cell in a solution of anhydrous liquid hydrogen fluoride under temperature and pressure conditions sufficient to replace all hydrogens in the cyclobutane of the above formula with fluorine; and (b) cracking the perfluorinated cyclobutane. A disclosed cracking involves contacting the perfluorinated cyclobutanes with carbon or a conductive metal, which is heated by induction heating to a temperature sufficient to crack the perfluorinated cyclobutanes.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process by a series of reactions using tetrafluorocyanobenzens as material for producing tetrafluorobenzenemethanols, tetrafluorobenzenecarbaldehyde dialkylacetals and tetrafluorobenzenecarbaldehydes in a high purity and a high yield which are useful as intermediates in the production of cyclopropanecarboxylic acid esters having insecticidal action, and also relates to a novel tetrafluorobenzenecarbaldehyde dimethylacetal.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for preparing betaines of formula (I) wherein R1 represents a C1-C24 hydrocarbon group, and R2 and R3 independently represent a C1-C3 hydrocarbon group, comprising reacting an aqueous solution of an ethoxylated quaternay ammonium compound of formula (II) wherein R1, R2, and R3 have the same meaning as described above and X− represents a suitable anion, with oxygen or an oxygen-containing gas under alkaline conditions in the presence of a supported and promoted Pt catalyst at a temperature ranging from room temperature to 70° C. Preferably, use is made of a Pt/Bi/C catalyst.

Abstract: A process for producing vinyl acetate comprising reacting ethylene, acetic acid and oxygen together in at least partially liquid phase in the presence of a catalyst comprising a noble metal component.

Abstract: An improved method for the recovery of phenol from aqueous streams comprises adding a relatively non-polar solvent to a phenol containing aqueous stream to improve the separation of the phenol form the aqueous stream. The improvement results in a phenol stream with a reduced level of salt carried over from the aqueous stream.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of nitrotoluenesl. More particularly, the present invention relates to a process for the preparation of nitrotoluenes with high para -selectivity from toluene using zeolite beta with different binders as a catalyst.

Abstract: A 9,9-bis (4-hydroxyphenyl) fluorene compound showing a melting curve maximum of at least 226.00° C. and a melting curve width at 5% equal to or lower than 1.30° C. A purification process for the preparation of 9,9-bis (4-hydroxyphenyl) fluorene compounds comprising a first purification step employing acetonitrile and a second purification step employing a solvent selected from the group consisting of aliphatic alcools, a mixture of aromatic hydrocarbons and aliphatic alco-hols and a mixture of aromatic hydrocarbons and nitrites.

Abstract: A high purity 4,4′-isopropylidine-bis-(2,6-dibromophenol) characterised by ionic bromides less than 10 ppm, colour in alkaline solution from 60-100 HU, HPLC purity about 99.9%, APHA of 20% MeOH solution less than 10.0 HU, Fe less than 1.0 ppm, turbidity of 20% MeOH solution less than 5 NTU, pH of 10% slurry 6.0-7.0, size of the crystal particles, 250 to 280 microns with angle of repose lower than 30°.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method of producing bisphenol A, in which bisphenol A is produced by condensation of phenol and acetone with the use of a cation exchange resin as a catalyst and a free mercaptan as a promoter, comprising feeding phenol and acetone to a multi-stage reactor in which at least two fixed bed-type adiabatic reactors packed with the cation exchange resin are arranged in series and a heat exchanger is provided at an inlet of each of the reactors, and controlling the temperature within each of the reactors so as not to exceed 90° C. With this method, elimination of sulfonic groups from the cation exchange resin as a catalyst can be suppressed, so that bisphenol A of high quality can be obtained, and the amount of the catalyst used can be reduced.

Abstract: In reduction of an epoxy group-containing organic compound, for example, a C5-C20 saturated or unsaturated epoxy cycloaliphatic compound, in the presence of a nickel catalyst, by bringing the compound into contact with hydrogen, the target compound can be produced at a high yield by adding a basic substance (for example, an alkali metal hydroxide, an alkali metal carbonate, an alkali metal alkoxide, and an amine compound having 1 to 3 C1-C12 alkyl groups), to the reduction reaction system, to thereby restrict production of by-products due to a side deoxidation reaction.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for producing a bis(4-hydroxy-3-nitrophenyl) compounds, characterized by nitrating a bis(4-hydroxyphenyl) compound wherein two phenyl groups are bonded to each other directly or through an electron-donating bridging group, sulfoxide group, sulfone group or carbonyl group in an inert solvent using nitric acid under the condition of substantially free from any other acid. According to the process, the target compounds reduced in the content of trinitrates can be produced in high yield and further recrystallizing the compound easily gives in high yield a high-purity products suitable for use as a raw material of producing a heat-resistant polymer and so on because the content of a trinitro-substitued compound in that compound is low.

Abstract: A heterogeneous liquid-phase process for the hydrogenation of aldehydes of Formula (I) and (III) to the corresponding alcohols of Formula (II) and (IV) which process comprises contacting alcoholic or aqueous-alcoholic solution of aldehydes and hydrogen gas with a catalyst comprising a reduced mixture of CuO and ZnO in presence of a metal of group IIIA of the Periodic Table, such as aluminium, as a promoter at a temperature of between about 110° and 180° C. and a pressure of between about 20 and 500 psig.