Abstract: A hydrogenation catalyst which is suitable, in particular, for the hydrogenation of maleic anhydride and its derivatives to THF or its derivatives comprises copper oxide and at least one further metal or compound thereof, preferably an oxide, selected from the group consisting of Al, Si, Zn, La, Ce, the elements of groups IIIA to VIIIA and the elements of groups IA and IIA and having a pore volume of ≧ 0.01 ml/g for pore diameters of >50 nm and a ratio of the pore volume of macropores having a diameter of >50 nm to the total pore volume for pores having a diameter of >4 nm of >10%.

Abstract: A catalyst for the hydrogenation of C4-dicarboxylic acids and/or their derivatives, preferably maleic anhydride, in the gas phase comprises from 5 to 100% by weight, preferably from 40 to 90% by weight, of copper oxide and from 0 to 95% by weight, preferably from 10 to 60% by weight, of one or more metals or compounds thereof selected from the group consisting of Al, Si, Zn, Pd, La, Ce, the elements of groups III A to VIII A and groups I A and II A as active composition applied in the form of a thin layer to an inert support material.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of maleic anhydride by heterogeneously catalyzed gas-phase oxidation in a reactor with feed for the reaction mixture at one end of the reactor and discharge of the product mixture at the opposite end of the reactor, and with devices for dissipating the heat of reaction which are arranged in the reactor interior and through which a heat-exchange medium flows and which are designed as heat-exchanger plates.

Abstract: Described is a process for the preparation of a particulate tetrahydro-3,5-dimethyl-1,3,5-thiadiazine-2-thione product by combining a first aqueous solution comprising methylammonium N-methyldithiocarbamate with a second aqueous solution comprising formaldehyde, followed by separation and drying of the resulting solid, which comprises combining the first and the second aqueous solutions in such a way that the ratio between the concentrations of dithiocarbamate functions and of formaldehyde is essentially constant in the reaction mixture over time during the duration of the reaction.

Abstract: In a process for the continuous fractional distillation of mixtures comprising tetrahydrofuran, &ggr;-butyrolactone and/or 1,4-butanediol to give at least three fractions, the fractionation is carried out in an assembly of distillation columns comprising at least one dividing wall column or at least one assembly of thermally coupled conventional distillation columns.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of maleic anhydride by heterogeneously catalyzed gas-phase oxidation in a reactor with feed for the reaction mixture at one end of the reactor and discharge of the product mixture at the opposite end of the reactor, and with devices for dissipating the heat of reaction which are arranged in the reactor interior and through which a heat-exchange medium flows and which are designed as heat-exchanger plates.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for preparing hydroxyl-containing polymers, in particular for preparing polytetrahydrofuran with terminal hydroxyl groups, from the corresponding acyloxy-containing polymers by transesterification with alcohols in the presence of an alkali metal- or alkaline earth metal-containing catalyst, which entails the appropriate acyloxy-containing polymer being introduced together with the alcohol and the catalyst into a first prereactor (I) and converted therein at least partly to the hydroxyl-containing polymer, and the reaction solution being fed into the upper zone (IIa) of a distillation column (II) into whose lower zone (IIb) alcohol in vapor phase is additionally fed. This involves a phase exchange at the coherent and the disperse phase at the transition from the prereactor to the distillation column. Preferably, in addition to the first prereactor, a further 3 prereactors are used which serve as holdup reactors.

Abstract: In a process for the continuous preparation of alkyl esters of (meth)acrylic acid by reacting (meth)acrylic acid with alkanols having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms in a homogeneous, liquid, solvent-free phase at elevated temperature and in the presence of an acid esterification catalyst, in which the (meth)acrylic acid, the alkanol and the acid catalyst are fed to a reaction zone, the water formed is removed by rectification during a residence time as constituent of a mixture comprising starting alkanol in a rectification unit (III) superposed on the reaction zone, the distillate obtained is separated into an organic phase comprising alkanol and an aqueous phase comprising water, the organic phase is essentially completely returned to the rectification unit (III), the reaction mixture is discharged from the reaction zone and conveyed into a distillative separation zone comprising further rectification units and in the latter the alkyl (meth)acrylate formed is separated off.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for preparing hydroxyl-containing polymers, in particular for preparing polytetrahydrofuran with terminal hydroxyl groups, from the corresponding acyloxy-containing polymers by transesterification with alcohols in the presence of a sodium-containing catalyst. In this process the polytetrahydrofuiran solution is passed in the presence of a catalytic amount of water directly through at least one ion exchanger following the transesterification in order to remove the sodium cations.The novel process makes it possible to remove the sodium cations from the sodium-containing catalyst in an economic manner and with little complexity. The residual sodium content can be reduced to values of less than 0.5 ppm.

Abstract: In a process and an apparatus for the continuous preparation of alkyl esters of (meth)acrylic acid by reacting (meth)acrylic acid with alkanols having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms in a homogeneous, liquid, solvent-free phase at elevated temperature and in the presence of an acid esterification catalyst, in which the (meth)acrylic acid, the alkanol and the catalyst are fed to a reaction zone, the water formed is removed by rectification during a residence time as constituent of a mixture comprising alkanol in a rectification unit superposed on the reaction zone, the distillate thus obtained is separated into an organic phase comprising alkanol and an aqueous phase comprising water, the organic phase is returned to the rectification unit, the reaction mixture is discharged from the reaction zone and conveyed into a distillative separation zone comprising further rectification units and in the latter the alkyl (meth)acrylate formed is separated off.

Abstract: In the process for the continuous preparation of alkyl esters of (meth)acrylic acid by reacting (meth)acrylic acid with monohydric alkanols having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms in the presence of an acid esterification catalyst in a reaction zone, there is discharged from the reaction zone a product mixture which comprises the alkyl (meth)acrylate formed, the catalyst and the by-products formed during the course of the esterification having boiling points higher than that of the alkyl (meth)acrylate, and from which the alkyl (meth)acrylate is separated by distillation in a separation zone. The product mixture discharged from the reaction zone is fed to a rectification unit (I), in this unit the product mixture discharged is separated by rectification into at least one product (I) comprising the alkyl ester of (meth)acrylic acid and a product (II) comprising the catalyst, the product (I) is fed to a further rectification unit (II) and in this the alkyl ester of (meth)acrylic acid is separated off by rectification.