Abstract: Process for the continuous preparation of an alkyl 5-formylvalerate by reacting an alkyl-3-pentenoate with carbon monoxide and hydrogen by hydroformylation using a catalyst system comprising rhodium or iridium and a multidentate organic phosphite ligand according to the general formula: in which n is 2-6, X is an n-valent organic bridging group, and in which the end groups R1-R2 are monovalent aryl groups, wherein the process is carried out in the presence of an acid compound having a pKa between 1 and 12 measured in water at 18° C.

Abstract: A catalyst for the production of vinyl acetate by reaction of ethylene, oxygen and acetic acid comprising a porous support on the porous surfaces of which is deposited catalytically effective amounts of metallic palladium and gold, and cupric acetate. Use of this catalyst results in a reaction having a relatively low selectivity to carbon dioxide.

Abstract: The invention relates to a shell catalyst for producing acetic acid by gas-phase oxidation of unsaturated C4-hydrocarbons, comprising an inert non-porous carrier and a catalytically active mixed oxide material applied on the outer surface of the carrier, wherein said material contains (a) one or several oxides from the group titanium dioxide, zircon dioxide, stannic dioxide, aluminum oxide, and b) 0.1 to 1.5 wt. % vanadium pentoxide in relation to the weight of the constituent (a) and per m2/g of the specific surface of the constituent (a).

Abstract: A mixed metal oxide catalytic system comprising MoVNbPd or MoLaVPd providing higher selectivity and space time yield of acetic acid in the low temperature single stage oxidation of ethylene with molecular oxygen-containing gas and steam with very minimum or without the production of side products such as acetaldehyde, and methods of using the same.

Abstract: A mixture formed from an aromatic substituted alcohol and/or an aromatic substituted alkyl halide, and a copper-free palladium catalyst is carbonylated with carbon monoxide. Extremely high yields of the desired alpha-substituted carboxylic acid can be obtained in very short reaction periods by use of a palladium catalyst that is formed from a palladium compound with a valence of zero to two and a cycloalkyldiarylphosphine ligand, such as neomenthyldiphenylphosphine.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for producing supported shell catalysts comprising noble metals by UV photoreduction of noble metal salt precursors fixed to a support. For this purpose, the shaped supported body is impregnated with suitable noble metal salts which are then reduced to the metals in a zone close to the surface by means of UV radiation, preferably in the absence of a chemical reducing agent. The metal salts in the interior of the pellets which have not been irradiated and therefore have not been reduced are extracted using a solvent. The noble metal shell catalysts produced in this way can be used for many heterogeneously catalyzed reactions such as hydrogenations and oxidations. According to the invention, Pd/Au shell catalysts on porous ceramic supports, e.g. SiO2 shaped bodies, produced by this process can be used in the synthesis of vinyl acetate.

Abstract: A process for the manufacture of acrylic acid comprising reacting propylene and oxygen (preferably in the form of air) in a reaction zone having a catalyst characterized by the following formula: AaBbCcCadFeeBifMo12Ox where A=one or more of Li, Na, K, Rb and Cs B=one or more of Mg, Sr, Mn, Ni, Co and Zn C=one or more of Ce, Cr, Al, Sb, P, Ge, Sn, Cu, V and W and a=0.01 to 1.0; b and e =1.0-10 c=0 to 5.0, preferably 0.05 to 5.0, especially preferred being 0.05 to 4.0 d and f=0.05 to 5.0, and x is a number determined by the valence requirements of the other elements present; at an elevated temperature to produce acrylic acid and acrolein.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the C-alkylation of dialkyl malonates, in which a dialkyl malonate is reacted with an alkyl halide in the presence of potassium carbonate as a hydrogen halide acceptor in an inert solvent, and a phase-transfer catalyst is not added until from 50 to 80% of the dialkyl malonate has reacted. The phase-transfer catalyst may be, for example, a tetraalkylammonium salt or a tetraalkylammonium hydroxide, a tetraalkylphosphonium salt or a tetraalkylphosphonium hydroxide or a crown ether.

Abstract: In a process for the production of vinyl acetate by reacting ethylene, acetic acid and an oxygen-containing gas in a reactor to produce a process stream which is removed from the reactor as an outlet stream, the process is improved by maintaining the oxygen concentration of the outlet stream at or near its flammability limit.

Abstract: A method of controlling the carbon monoxide flow to a reactor wherein acetic acid is produced continuously by feeding carbon monoxide through a control valve and methanol and/or a reactive derivative thereof, there being maintained in the reactor a liquid reaction composition comprising at least 5% w/w methyl acetate, a finite concentration of water, from 1 to 30% w/w methyl iodide, a Group VIII noble metal catalyst, optionally at least one promoter and acetic acid comprising the remainder of the composition which method comprises the steps of: (i) measuring the carbon monoxide flow through the control valve; (ii) performing a background calculation to arrive at a time-averaged carbon monoxide flow rate; (iii) adding a constant value to the time-averaged carbon monoxide flow to arrive at a maximum allowable carbon monoxide flow rate; and (iv) feeding information comprising the calculated maximum allowable carbon monoxide flow rate to a control system which operates in a manner such that the carbon monoxid

Abstract: A mixed oxide solid composition of the formulas (I): (a) Mo12Co4.7Bi1Ni2.6Fe3.7W0.5Sn0.5Si1K0.08Ox; (b) Mo12Co3.5Bi1.1Fe0.8W0.5Si1.4K0.05Ox; and (c) Mo12Co3.8Bi1.2Fe0.9W1.1Si1.5K0.05Ox, wherein x is the quantity of oxygen bonded to the other elements and depends on their oxidation states, is suitable for the manufacture of acrolein by oxidizing propylene. The solid composition reacts with propylene according to the redox reaction (1): solidoxidized+propylene→solidreduced+acrolein  (1) To manufacture acrolein, gaseous propylene is passed over the solid composition. Redox reaction (1) is conducted at a temperature of 200 to 600° C., at a pressure of 1.01×104 to 1.01 to 106 Pa (0.1 to 10 atmospheres) and with a residence time of 0.01 second to 90 seconds, in the absence of molecular oxygen.

Abstract: A tertiary olefin such as isobutylene is reacted with a lower unsaturated carboxylic acid to produce the ester in the presence of a large pore zeolite catalyst such as Zeolite Y, Zeolite beta or Zeolite X, the reaction can be illustrated by the equation

Abstract: A method for the production of a salt of carboxylic acid by catalytic dehydrogenation effected by reacting the corresponding primary alcohol in aqueous solution with an alkaline hydroxide in the present of a copper catalyst, in which, before the catalytic dehydrogenation, the mass of the reagents comprising the said aqueous solution of a primary alcohol is subjected to a deoxygenation stage in order to remove or reduce the level of dissolved molecular oxygen. The deoxygenation stage is preferably carried out by bubbling an inert gas or by adding a reducing agent.

Abstract: A method for the preparation of acetic acid and/or methyl acetate by isomerization of methyl formate in a reaction mixture which includes water, a solvent and a catalytic system containing a halogenated promoter and an iridium-based compound. Carbon monoxide is present in the reaction mixture at a partial pressure between 0.1.105 Pa and 25.105 Pa, methyl formate is maintained below 20% by weight of the reaction mixture and water is maintained in an amount which is at most 5% by weight of the reaction mixture. In a typical system, method formate isomerizes to acetic acid according to the reaction: HCOOCH3CH3COOH.

Abstract: Process for the production of vinyl acetate in which ethylene, acid and oxygen-containing gas are combined at elevated temperature in the presence of a catalyst material to produce (i) a product mixture comprising vinyl acetate, (ii) a liquid by-product comprising acetic acid and (iii) a gaseous by-product comprising carbon dioxide. The liquid by-product is separated from the product mixture and treated to reduce the water content therein before being recycled to the reactor such that the water entering the reactor comprises less than 6 wt %, (preferably less than 4 wt %, more preferably less than 3 wt %) of the total of acetic acid and water entering the reactor.

Abstract: In a liquid phase carbonylation process for the production of acetic anhydride by reacting a feed stream which includes methyl acetate, methanol and carbon monoxide using a Group VIII metal-containing catalyst, and preferably a rhodium containing material, a liquid reaction product is continuously withdrawn from the carbonylation zone and fed to an evaporation/separation zone for separating volatile constituents of the reaction from the non-volatile constituents which, includes a portion of the Group VIII metal catalyst from the carbonylation reactor. The Group VIII metal catalyst is contacted with a gas stream which includes hydrogen for a period of from about 0.001 seconds to about 200 seconds as it is being returned to the carbonylation zone.

Abstract: Process for transesterifying &agr;-ketocarboxylic esters in an anhydrous alcohol as reaction medium in the presence of tin catalysts, titanium catalysts, zirconium catalysts or lithium catalysts or of acetylacetonates as catalysts.

Abstract: The invention is a base-modified clay that selectively catalyzes the formation of a glycol monoester from an aldehyde. The base-modified clay comprises a clay having secluded conjugate base sites and exchangeable interstitial cationic spaces. In the base-modified clay, the interstitial hydroxyl groups have been converted to oxide sites, at least one structural hydroxyl group has been converted to an oxide site. The base-modified clay contains sufficient conjugate base cations to balance the charge of said oxide groups. Processes for preparing the base-modified clay are described. The invention also provides a process for preparing a glycol monoester. This process includes heating in a reaction vessel an aldehyde and a catalytic amount of the base-modified clay under conditions sufficient to produce a glycol monoester.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process to prepare alkyl (meth)acrylate esters from corresponding alkyl/methacrylate esters using an alkali metal alkoxide as an ester interchange catalyst to produce an alkyl (meth)acrylate ester monomer product C The present invention further relates to the use of bromide and iodide salts as free radical polymerization inhibitors. The present invention further relates to the use of a noninterfering alcohol or polyol that prevents anionic polymerization reactions of reactant ester B and/or alkyl (meth)acrylate product C.

Abstract: Noble metal, particularly ruthenium, Raney catalysts which can hydrogenate (1) aromaticity-exhibiting ring portions of organic compounds, (2) carboxylic acids and their ester portions (carbonyl ester groups), (3) ring portions and carboxylic acid or their ester groups in compounds having such ring portions and carboxylic acid or their ester portions, and (4) ring portions and nitrile groups of aromatic nitrile compounds and methods for the preparation of corresponding hydrogenated compounds. The methods allow preparation of hydrogenated compounds having hydrogenated aromatic ring portions, hydrogenated carbonyl ester groups, hydrogenated aromatic ring and carbonyl ester groups, or hydrogenated aromatic rings and nitrile groups under milder hydrogen pressure and temperature conditions than the conventional catalysts.