Abstract: Method for preparing a ?-hydroxyketone having 4 to 8 carbon atoms by reacting formaldehyde with a branched or unbranched dialkyl ketone having 3 to 7 carbon atoms in the liquid phase in a reactor in the presence of a basic component at a temperature of 50 to 150° C. and a pressure of 0.2 to 10 MPa abs, in which (a) a trialkylamine having 1 to 4 carbon atoms per alkyl group is used as basic component and the reaction (b) is carried out in the presence of 1 to 25% by weight water, based on the liquid phase, and (c) at a molar ratio of trialkylamine to formaldehyde in the liquid phase of from 1 to 5.

Abstract: Method for preparing 1-hydroxy-2-methyl-3-pentanone (I) by reacting formaldehyde with diethyl ketone in a reactor in the presence of water and a basic component at a temperature of 50 to 150° C. and a pressure of 0.2 to 10 MPa abs, in which the basic component used is a trialkylamine from the group comprising trimethylamine, N,N-dimethylethylamine, N,N-diethylmethylamine, triethylamine, N,N-dimethyl-n-propylamine, N-ethyl-N-methyl-n-propylamine, N,N-dimethylisopropylamine, N-ethyl-N-methylisopropylamine, N,N-dimethyl-n-butylamine, N,N-dimethylisobutylamine and N,N-dimethyl-sec-butylamine, and from the reaction mixture obtained, trialkylamine as low boiler and a bottom product comprising 1-hydroxy-2-methyl-3-pentanone (I) as high boiler are separated in a distillation apparatus, wherein the distillation apparatus is operated at a top pressure of 0.2 to 1 MPa abs.

Abstract: Process for preparing divinyl ethers by reacting compounds having two hydroxyl groups (hereinafter referred to as diols) with acetylene, wherein the hydroxyl groups are incompletely reacted with acetylene and the resulting product mixture therefore comprises the monovinyl ether in addition to the divinyl ether and the monovinyl ether is separated off from the product mixture by extractive distillation in the presence of an extractant.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of polyether alcohols by reacting at least one alkylene oxide with at least one unsaturated starter having at least one active hydrogen atom per molecule under basic catalysis, that the alkoxylation is carried out in at least two stages, in stage (I) the alkoxylation of the starter or starters being carried out with not more than 10 mol of alkylene oxide per mole of starter with a catalyst concentration of not more than 0.0085 mol of basic catalyst per mole and in stage (II) and the optionally following stages, the alkoxylated starter or starters from stage (I) being reacted with further alkylene oxide at a catalyst concentration of at least 0.01 mol of basic catalyst per mole of starter.

Abstract: Process for preparing divinyl ethers by reacting compounds having two hydroxyl groups (hereinafter referred to as diols) with acetylene, wherein the hydroxyl groups are incompletely reacted with acetylene and the resulting product mixture therefore comprises the monovinyl ether in addition to the divinyl ether and the monovinyl ether is separated off from the product mixture by extractive distillation in the presence of an extractant.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of polyether alcohols by reacting at least one alkylene oxide with at least one unsaturated starter having at least one active hydrogen atom per molecule under basic catalysis, that the alkoxylation is carried out in at least two stages, in stage (I) the alkoxylation of the starter or starters being carried out with not more than 10 mol of alkylene oxide per mole of starter with a catalyst concentration of not more than 0.0085 mol of basic catalyst per mole and in stage (II) and the optionally following stages, the alkoxylated starter or starters from stage (I) being reacted with further alkylene oxide at a catalyst concentration of at least 0.01 mol of basic catalyst per mole of starter.

Abstract: The present invention relates to polyethers which are obtainable from 1 -butene oxide and an alcohol using a double metal cyanide compound as a catalyst and have a content of unsaturated components of 6 mol% or more, to a process for preparing such a polyether and also to the use of a polyether according to the invention as a carrier oil or in a carrier oil formulation, in particular in additive packages for gasoline fuels, and furthermore also to carrier oil formulations and also to fuels comprising a polyether according to the invention.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for preparing at least one alkoxylate, which comprises bringing at least one alkylene oxide selected from the group consisting of ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, butylene oxide, pentylene oxide and decene oxide into contact with at least one starter compound in the presence of at least one double metal cyanide compound, with the reaction being carried out at a temperature of from 130° C. to 155° C., to the alkoxylates, in particular ethoxylates, themselves and to the use of such ethoxylates as emulsifier, foam regulator or as wetting agents for hard surfaces.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for reacting epoxides with an initiator compound in the presence of a double metal cyanide compound as a catalyst, said process having a shortened induction period, and the double metal cyanide compound being activated by adding the epoxide to a mixture of double metal cyanide compound and initiator compound at an internal reactor pressure of less than 1 bar, and also to the polyethers themselves obtainable by such a process.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of at least one alkoxylate comprising the bringing into contact of an alkylene oxide mixture at least comprising ethylene oxide with at least one starter compound in the presence of at least one double-metal cyanide compound, where, during the induction phase, the sum of inert gas partial pressure and ethylene oxide partial pressure is 1.5 bar to 6.0 bar, to the alkoxylates obtainable by such a process, and to the use of such alkoxylates as emulsifier, foam regulator or as wetting agent for hard surfaces.

Abstract: Polyetherpolyols are prepared by reacting diols or polyols with ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, butylene oxide or a mixture thereof in the presence of a multimetal cyanide complex catalyst by a process which is carried out in a vertical, highly cylindrical reactor having a central stirrer and having heat exchanger plates through which a heat-exchange medium flows and which are arranged essentially in the longitudinal direction of the reactor, at an angle ? of from 0 to 70° in the direction of rotation of the stirrer relative to the reactor radius.

Abstract: A process for preparing polyether polyols includes a precipitation step, a recrystallization step, and a reaction step. In the precipitation step, a multimetal cyanide compound is precipitated by reaction of a metal salt with a cyanometalate compound. In the recrystallization step, the multimetal cyanide compound precipitated above is recrystallized by adding further metal salt and/or further cyanometalate compound. The recrystallization forms a multimetal cyanide catalyst compound. In the reaction step, an initiator and one or more alkylene oxide are reacted in the presence of the multimetal cyanide catalyst compound.

Abstract: In a process for producing polyurethanes by reacting at least one polyisocyanate with at least one compound containing at least two hydrogen atoms which are reactive toward isocyanate groups, the compound having at least two active hydrogen atoms which is used is at least one polyether alcohol prepared by addition of alkylene oxides onto H-functional initiator substances by means of multimetal cyanide catalysis and the reaction is carried out in the presence of at least one metal salt.

Abstract: Glyceric acid compounds of the formula (I) R1R2C(OH)—CR3(OH)—COOX??(I) where R1, R2 and R3 are independently hydrogen, C1-12-alkyl, C6-12-aryl, C7-13-alkaryl or C7-13-aralkyl and X is hydrogen, an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal/2 or NH4, are prepared by saponification of glycidic acid compounds of the formula (II) where Y is NH2 or OR4 in which R4 is C1-12-alkyl or C7-13-aralkyl, with ring-opening addition of water onto the epoxide ring. Preferably, Y is NH2 and the glycidamide of the formula (II) which is used is prepared by reacting acrylonitriles of the formula (III) R1R2C?CR3CN??(III) with hydrogen peroxide.

Abstract: The catalytic activity of multimetal cyanide compounds used as catalysts for the addition of alkylene oxides onto H-functional starter substances is increased by subjecting the multimetal cyanide compounds to deagglomeration immediately before they are mixed with the H-functional starter substances.

Abstract: In multimetal cyanide complexes, more than 30% by weight of the primary particles have a platelet-like habit, i.e. the length and width of the primary particles is at least three times the thickness of the particles.

Abstract: Catalyst suspensions for the ring-opening polymerization of alkylene oxides comprise a) at least one multimetal cyanide compound having a crystalline structure and a content of platelet-shaped particles of at least 30% by weight, based on the multimetal cyanide compound, and b) at least one organic complexing agent c) water and/or d) at least one polyether and/or e) at least one surface-active substance, with the proviso that at least component a) and at least two of the components b) to e) have to be present.

Abstract: A process for regenerating a zeolite catalyst comprises the following stages:

Abstract: A process for preparing multimetal cyanide compounds by reacting a metal salt with a cyanometalate compound comprises the steps

Abstract: The invention relates to DMC catalysts which comprise at least 10% by weight, based on the weight of the DMC catalysts, of a crystalline multimetal cyanide compound whose X-ray diffractogram shows sharp reflections at least at the d values of 11.4 ű0.5 Å 8.9 ű0.5 Å 6.3 ű0.5 Å 5.8 ű0.5 Å 5.5 ű0.5 Å 4.5 ű0.5 Å 4.4 ű0.5 Å 3.9 ű0.4 Å 3.7 ű0.4 Å 3.4 ű0.4 Å.