Abstract: The present invention relates to a new method for a safe transport of ethyne in form of ?-alkynols as precursors for ethyne. The new method comprises three steps. In a first step the synthesis of the ?-alkynol(s) is performed by reacting ethyne with (a) carbonyl compound(s). The second step comprises the transport of the resulting ?-alkynol(s) in a safe manner, whereas the safety requirements for this transport are not as high as for ethyne because ?-alkynol(s) are normally classified for transportation as hazardous class 3. In the third step the ?-alkynol(s) can be cleaved and the ethyne and the carbonyl compound(s) can be obtained in the cleavage reaction and can be separated to yield pure products for further applications.

Abstract: According to the invention, a process for the rectification of mixtures of high-boiling air- and/or temperature-sensitive substances which require a high separation efficiency is proposed, in particular a process for the working-up of a VE- or VEA-containing product stream. The process is characterized in particular in that, in a first purification stage, low-boiling products and unspecified isomers of the useful product are separated from the product stream virtually without loss of useful product and that, in a second purification stage, the useful product is removed in a stream having a purity of >97% by weight and a further stream having a purity of >92% by weight. A preferred embodiment of the process serves for working up VEA, in which the loss of useful product in the first purification stage is less than 5%, based on that amount of VEA in the feed which is added to the purification stage per unit time.

Abstract: According to the invention, a process for the rectification of mixtures of high-boiling air- and/or temperature-sensitive substances which require a high separation efficiency is proposed, in particular a process for the working-up of a VE- or VEA-containing product stream. The process is characterized in particular in that, in a first purification stage, low-boiling products and unspecified isomers of the useful product are separated from the product stream virtually without loss of useful product and that, in a second purification stage, the useful product is removed in a stream having a purity of >97% by weight and a further stream having a purity of >92% by weight. A preferred embodiment of the process serves for working up VEA, in which the loss of useful product in the first purification stage is less than 5%, based on that amount of VEA in the feed which is added to the purification stage per unit time.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the manufacture of alkenylated aromatic compounds featuring at least one hydroxy group, their ring-closure reactions to 5 chroman derivatives, as well as the acylation of the latter and the aromatic compounds featuring at least one hydroxy group themselves. The present invention relates especially to a process for the manufacture of tocol, tocopherols and their alkanoates such as (x-tocopherol (TCP) and alkanoates (TCPA) thereof, preferably (x-toeopheryl acetate (TCPAc). The processes of the present invention are characterized in that at least one step of the processes is carried out in the presence of an indium salt as the catalyst.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the working-up of a vitamin E (VE)- and/or vitamin E acetate (VEA)-containing product stream, which is substantially characterized by purification of a vitamin E-containing product stream, acetylation of at least a part of the purified vitamin E and purification of at least a part of the acetylated vitamin E, the purification of vitamin E and vitamin E acetate preferably being effected by distillation, for example rectification.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a new method for a safe transport of ethyne in form of ?-alkynols as precursors for ethyne. The new method comprises three steps. In a first step the synthesis of the ?-alkynol(s) is performed by reacting ethyne with (a) carbonyl compound(s). The second step comprises the transport of the resulting ?-alkynol(s) in a safe manner, whereas the safety requirements for this transport are not as high as for ethyne because ?-alkynol(s) are normally classified for transportation as hazardous class 3. In the third step the ?-alkynol(s) can be cleaved and the ethyne and the carbonyl compound(s) can be obtained in the cleavage reaction and can be separated to yield pure products for further applications.

Abstract: The present invention relates to novel processes for the manufacture of chroman derivatives such as ?-tocopherol (TCP) and alkanoates thereof, especially ?-tocopheryl acetate (TCPA), whereby at least one step of the processes is carried out in the presence of a Lewis acid or a mixture of a Lewis acid with a Bronsted acid as the catalyst under pressure, preferably at an absolute pressure of at least 1.1 bar. As starting materials for the manufacture of TCP and its alkanoates either a mixture of 2,3,5-trimethylhydroquinone (TMHQ) or 2,3,6-trimethylhydroquinone-1-alkanoate (TMHQA) and a compound selected from the group consisting of phytol (PH), isophytol (IP) and (iso)phytol derivatives or 2-phytyl-3,5,6-trimethyl-hydroquinone (PTMHQ)/3-phytyl-2,5,6-trimethylhydroquinone-1-alkanoate (PTMHQA) and/or an isomer thereof are used. Suitable Lewis acids are indium(III) salts and scandium(III) salts. Suitable acid mixtures are iron/iron(II) chloride/hydrogen chloride and zinc(II) chloride/hydrogen chloride.

Abstract: According to the invention, a process for the rectification of mixtures of high-boiling air- and/or temperature-sensitive substances which require a high separation efficiency is proposed, in particular a process for the working-up of a VE- or VEA-containing product stream. The process is characterized in particular in that, in a first purification stage, low-boiling products and unspecified isomers of the useful product are separated from the product stream virtually without loss of useful product and that, in a second purification stage, the useful product is removed in a stream having a purity of >97% by weight and a further stream having a purity of >92% by weight. A preferred embodiment of the process serves for working up VEA, in which the loss of useful product in the first purification stage is less than 5%, based on that amount of VEA in the feed which is added to the purification stage per unit time.

Abstract: The present invention relates to novel processes for the manufacture of chroman derivatives such as ?-tocopherol (TCP) and alkanoates thereof, especially ?-tocopheryl acetate (TCPA), whereby at least one step of the processes is carried out in the presence of a Lewis acid or a mixture of a Lewis acid with a Bronsted acid as the catalyst under pressure, preferably at an absolute pressure of at least 1.1 bar. As starting materials for the manufacture of TCP and its alkanoates either a mixture of 2,3,5-trimethylhydroquinone (TMHQ) or 2,3,6-trimethylhydroquinone-1-alkanoate (TMHQA) and a compound selected from the group consisting of phytol (pH), isophytol (IP) and (iso)phytol derivatives or 2-phytyl-3,5,6-trimethyl-hydroquinone (PTMHQ)/3-phytyl-2,5,6-trimethylhydroquinone-1-alkanoate (PTMHQA) and/or an isomer thereof are used. Suitable Lewis acids are indium(III) salts and scandium(III) salts. Suitable acid mixtures are iron/iron(II) chloride/hydrogen chloride and zinc(II) chloride/hydrogen chloride.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel process for the manufacture of alkenylated aromatic compounds featuring at least one hydroxy group, their ring-closure reactions to chroman derivatives, as well as the acylation of the latter and the aromatic compounds featuring at least one hydroxy group themselves. The present invention relates especially to a process for the manufacture of tocol, tocopherols and their alkanoates such as ?-tocopherol (TCP) and alkanoates (TCPA) thereof, preferably ?-tocopheryl acetate (TCPAc). The processes of the present invention are characterized in that at least one step of the processes is carried out in the presence of an indium salt as the catalyst. Thus, an object of the present invention is the use of an indium salt as the catalyst in Friedel-Crafts alkylation reactions of aromatic compounds featuring at least one hydroxy group and ring-closure reactions of the latter to produce chroman-ring compounds in organic solvents.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for the catalyzed isomerization of a Z-isomer of a vitamin A compound or of a mixture of several of such isomers into a mixture of the corresponding all-E- and 13-Z-isomers of this vitamin A compound. The process utilizes nitrogen monoxide or a gas mixture containing nitrogen monoxide as the isomerization catalyst. Vitamin A acetate or vitamin A acid is preferably used as the vitamin A compound. The thus-produced all-E vitamin A and its alkanoyl esters have of all isomers by far the highest biological activity and are accordingly almost exclusively used in human and animal nutrition. The 13-Z-vitamin A compounds in turn play an important role as pharmaceutically active substances.