Abstract: An alkanediol and a dialkyl carbonate are prepared in a process comprising: (a) contacting an alkylene carbonate with an alkanol feedstock under transesterification conditions in a reactive distillation zone to obtain a top stream comprising dialkyl carbonate and the alkanol and a bottom stream comprising an alkanediol; (b) separating the top stream comprising dialkyl carbonate and the alkanol into an alkanol-rich stream and a dialkyl carbonate-rich stream; (c) recovering the dialkyl carbonate from the dialkyl carbonate-rich stream; and (d) recycling at least part of the alkanol-rich stream to the reactive distillation zone as part of the alkanol feedstock, wherein the alkanol-rich stream is split in at least two portions, and at least one portion is condensed and freed from compounds with a lower boiling point than the alkanol. The process is especially suitable for the production of propylene glycol and dimethyl carbonate from propylene carbonate and methanol.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the preparation of a diaryl carbonate, which comprises: (i) contacting an aromatic non-hydroxy compound with a carboxylic acid of formula HOC(?O)R1 (I), wherein R1 is a hydrocarbyl group, and with an oxygen containing gas in the presence of a catalyst, resulting in water and an aromatic carboxylic acid ester of formula R2OC(?O)R1 (II), wherein R2 is an aryl group originating from the aromatic non-hydroxy compound; and (ii) contacting the aromatic carboxylic acid ester of formula (II) from step (i) with a dialkyl carbonate of formula R3OC(?O)OR4 (III), wherein R3 and R4 are the same or different and are alkyl groups, in the presence of a catalyst, resulting in a diaryl carbonate of formula R2OC(?O)OR2 (IV) and an alkyl carboxylic acid ester of formula R5OC(?O)R1 (V), wherein R5 is R3 or R4.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing aromatic polycarbonate, including the steps of: (1) transporting a liquid mixture of acetone and bisphenolacetone to a polycarbonate production plant; (2) separating the bisphenolacetone from the acetone; (3) reacting the bisphenolacetone with diphenylcarbonate to produce polycarbonate. Further, the invention relates to a method for storage and/or transport of bisphenolacetone for use in producing aromatic polycarbonate, which involves the addition of such amount of acetone to bisphenolacetone that the molar ratio of acetone to bisphenolacetone in the final liquid mixture to be stored and/or transported is in the range of from 0.5:1 to 15:1.

Abstract: An alkylene carbonate is produced by the reaction of an alkylene oxide with carbon dioxide in the presence of a phosphonium compound as catalyst in a process in which (a) the alkylene oxide, carbon dioxide and the phosphonium catalyst are continuously introduced into a reaction zone from which a product stream containing alkylene carbonate and catalyst is withdrawn, (b) alkylene carbonate and a mixture of alkylene carbonate and phosphonium catalyst are separated from the product stream, (c) the alkylene carbonate, separated in step (b), is recovered as product, and (d) the mixture of alkylene carbonate and phosphonium catalyst is continuously recycled to the reaction zone. The alkylene carbonate thus produced is suitably reacted with an alkanol to produce an alkane diol and a dialkyl carbonate.

Abstract: Diaryl carbonate is prepared by reaction of an aromatic alcohol with a dialkyl carbonate, which dialkyl carbonate has been prepared by the reaction of an alkanol and an alkylene carbonate.

Abstract: An alkanediol and a dialkyl carbonate are prepared in a process comprising: (a) reacting an alkylene carbonate and an alkanol feedstock in a reaction zone under transesterification conditions to obtain a product mixture of dialkyl carbonate, unconverted alkanol, the alkanediol, and unconverted alkylene carbonate; (b) separating dialkyl carbonate and unconverted alkanol from the product mixture to obtain a bottom product stream containing alkanediol and unconverted alkylene carbonate; (c) recovering the dialkyl carbonate; and (d) separating alkanediol from the bottom product stream to leave a recycle stream comprising unconverted alkylene carbonate, wherein the recycle stream comprising unconverted alkylene carbonate is split in at least two portions, and at least one portion is recycled to the reaction zone and another portion is subjected to hydrolysis to yield alkanediol and carbon dioxide.

Abstract: An alkanediol and a dialkyl carbonate are prepared in a process comprising: (a) reacting an alkylene carbonate and an alkanol feedstock in a first reaction zone under transesterification conditions to obtain a product mixture of dialkyl carbonate, unconverted alkanol, the alkanediol, unconverted alkylene carbonate and dimers of the alkanediol; (b) separating dialkyl carbonate and alkanol from the product mixture to obtain a bottom product stream containing alkanediol, unconverted alkylene carbonate and dimers of the alkanediol; (c) recovering the dialkyl carbonate; and (d) separating alkanediol from the bottom product stream to leave a recycle stream comprising unconverted alkylene carbonate and dimers of the alkanediol, which process further comprises (e) passing at least part of the recycle stream to a second reaction zone in which the dimers of the alkanediol are converted to higher-boiling oligomers of alkanediol, yielding an oligomers-containing effluent; (f) separating the higher-boiling oligomers from

Abstract: The invention relates to a hydrocracking process involving the steps of reacting a diphenyl alkane having a formulation of R1R2C(Ph)-(C)n(H)m-C(Ph)R3R4 with hydrogen using a catalyst containing a metal selected from the group consisting of Group IB and Group VIII metal compounds, preferably on an acidic support, to produce alkylbenzene(s) having a structure of R1R2C(Ph)R5 and R6(Ph)CR3R4; wherein the total number of carbon atoms for R5 and R6 is equal to n; wherein R1, R2, R3, R4 each is a H or a hydrocarbon group having 1-10 carbon atoms.

Abstract: A process for preparing an alkylene oxide, which process comprises: (i) oxidizing an alkylbenzene to obtain a stream comprising alkylbenzene hydroperoxide, (ii) contacting at least part of the alkylbenzene hydroperoxide obtained in step (i) with an olefin to obtain a product stream comprising an alkylene oxide (iii) separating alkylene oxide compound from the product stream of step (ii) to obtain (a) a residual product stream comprising alkylphenyl alcohol, and (b) alkylene oxide, (iv) feeding at least a part of the residual product stream comprising alkylphenyl alcohol to a reactor having a catalytic distillation zone, and concurrently in the reactor, (a) contacting the residual product stream comprising alkylphenyl alcohol with hydrogen in the catalytic distillation zone to convert the alkylphenyl alcohol in the residual product stream to alkylbenzene and form a reaction mixture, and (b) separating alkylbenzene from the reaction mixture by fractional distillation, (v) withdrawing a stream comprising a

Abstract: A process for producing an alkylbenzene from an alkylphenyl alcohol involving the steps of: (a) feeding a feed stream containing alkylphenyl a reactor having a catalytic distillation zone; and, (b) concurrently in the reactor (i) contacting the feed stream containing alkylphenyl alcohol with hydrogen in the catalytic distillation zone to convert alkylphenyl alcohol to alkylbenzene over a catalyst containing Group VIII or a Group IB metal; and, (ii) separating alkylbenzene from the reaction mixture by fractional distillation to produce an overhead stream containing alkylbenzene having a reduced concentration of alkylphenyl alcohol than the feed stream from the distillation column reactor. Examples of the alkylphenyl alcohol include cumyl alcohol, phenyl ethyl alcohol, or di(2-hydroxyl 2-propyl)benzene, and that for the alkylbenzene include cumene and di-ethyl benzene, or di(2-hydroxyl-2-propyl)benzene.

Abstract: An integrated method for producing aromatic polycarbonate, including the steps of: (1) making a liquid mixture of acetone and diphenylcarbonate; (2) transporting the liquid mixture of step (1) to a polycarbonate production plant; (3) separating the diphenylcarbonate from the acetone in the liquid mixture in the polycarbonate production plant; (4) reacting the diphenylcarbonate with bisphenolacetone to produce polycarbonate, thereby liberating phenol; (5) reacting phenol of step (4) with acetone of step (3) to produce bisphenolacetone; (6) using bisphenolacetone of step (5) in the reaction of step (4).

Abstract: A process for preparing oxirane compounds, which process comprises: (i) oxidizing an alkylaryl to obtain a stream comprising alkylaryl hydroperoxide, (ii) contacting at least a part of the alkylaryl hydroperoxide obtained in step (i) with an olefin in the presence of a catalyst to obtain a product stream comprising an oxirane compound and alkylaryl hydroxyl, (iii) optionally reacting part of the alkylaryl hydroperoxide obtained in step (i) to obtain a mixture comprising (a) phenol, and (b) a ketone and/or aldehyde, and (c) optionally by-products, (iv) separating oxirane compound from the product stream of step (ii) to obtain (a) a residual product stream and (b) oxirane, and (v) contacting at least a part of the residual product stream with hydrogen to obtain alkylaryl, wherein at least a part of said alkylaryl is recycled to step (i).

Abstract: A process for preparing oxirane compounds, which process comprises:

Abstract: The present invention is directed to the use of cyclic amide alkoxylate compounds as additives in fuel compositions having a major amount of a mixture of hydrocarbons in the gasoline boiling range and a minor amount of one or more cyclic amide alkoxylate compounds of the formula: ##STR1## wherein x is from 2 to 20 and y is from 1 to 50. R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are independently hydrogen or hydrocarbyl of 1 to 100 carbon atoms. R.sub.3 is hydrocarbyl of 1 to 100 carbon atoms and R.sub.4 is independently hydrocarbyl of 2 to 100 carbon atoms. R.sub.5 is hydrogen, hydrocarbyl of 1 to 100 carbon atoms or acyl of 1 to 20 carbon atoms.The invention is also directed to the use of these cyclic amide alkoxylate compounds for decreasing intake valve deposits, controlling octane requirement increases and reducing octane requirement. The invention is further directed to novel cyclic amide alkoxylate compounds.