Abstract: In a process for preparing alcohols by gas phase hydrogenation of carboxylic acids or esters thereof at elevated temperature and elevated pressure in the presence of catalysts consisting of or comprising, as hydrogenating components, oxides of main group VI and/or subgroup IV, the hydrogenation is carried outa) at from 250.degree. C. to 400.degree. C. and from 5 bar to 100 bar in the presence ofb) primary or secondary alcohols, the molar hydrogen/alcohol ratio being at most 800.

Abstract: Amines are prepared from primary or secondary alcohols and nitrogen compounds selected from the group of ammonia, primary and secondary amines, at from 80 to 250.degree. C. under pressures from 0.1 to 40 MPa with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst comprising zirconium, copper and nickel, wherein the catalytically active composition comprises20-85% by weight of oxygen-containing zirconium compounds, calculated as ZrO.sub.2,1-30% by weight of oxygen-containing copper compounds, calculated as CuO,14-70% by weight of oxygen-containing nickel compounds, calculated as NiO, where the molar ratio of nickel to copper is greater than 1,0-10% by weight of oxygen-containing aluminum and/or manganese compounds, calculated as Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 and/or MnO.sub.2,and no oxygen-containing cobalt or molybdenum compounds.

Abstract: A catalyst comprises, based on the total weight of the catalyst,0.1-6% by weight of cobalt, nickel or a mixture thereof,0.001-25% by weight of ruthenium,0-10% by weight of copper and0-5% by weight of promoterson a porous metal oxide carrier.It preferably comprises 0.1-3% by weight of cobalt and 0.1-3% by weight of nickel. It can be used in hydrogenation reactions, dehydrogenation reactions or hydrogenation/dehydrogenation reactions, in particular in the amination of alkylene oxides, alcohols, aldehydes or ketones with ammonia or primary or secondary amines.

Abstract: Zirconium dioxide which is monoclinic to at least 80% by weight and has a BET surface area of at least 100 m.sup.2 /g is prepared by admixing aqueous zirconium salt solutions with ammonia, drying and calcining the precipitation product, aging the precipitation product, prior to drying, in aqueous phase at from 0 to 300.degree. C. and carrying out the calcination at from 200 to 600.degree. C.

Abstract: The disclosure is a process for preparing a phthalide of the general formula I ##STR1## where R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 are each independently of the others hydrogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkyl or C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkoxy, by hydrogenation of a phthalic anhydride of the general formula II ##STR2## where R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 are each as defined above, with the aid of a hydrogenation catalyst, which comprises performing the hydrogenation with the aid of a nickel catalyst doped with metals of subgroup 1, subgroup 6 and/or subgroup 7 of the Periodic Table.

Abstract: A process for preparing catechol monoethers or catechols of the formula Ia or Ib ##STR1## where R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are, independently of one another, hydrogen or C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 hydrocarbon radicals, and R.sup.3 is a C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 hydrocarbon radical, which comprises a 2-hydroxycyclohexanone dialkyl ketal of the formula II or a 2-alkoxycyclohexanone of the formula III ##STR2## a) being reacted in the gas phase in the presence of palladium on zirconium oxide as catalyst to obtain compounds Ia orb) carrying out stage a) in the presence of water to obtain compounds Ib.

Abstract: A catalyst comprising, based on the total weight of the catalyst,more than 6-50% by weight of cobalt, nickel or a mixture thereof,0.001-25% by weight of ruthenium,0-10% by weight of copper and0-5% by weight of promoterson a porous metal oxide carrier can be prepared by(a) impregnating the carrier with the metals, promoters or compounds thereof,(b) drying and calcining the impregnated carrier and(c) reducing the calcined carrier in a stream of hydrogen,carrier not being impregnated with halogen compounds.

Abstract: A catalyst comprises, based on the total weight of the catalyst,0.1-6% by weight of cobalt, nickel or a mixture thereof,0.001-25% by weight of ruthenium,0-10% by weight of copper and0-5% by weight of promoterson a porous metal oxide carrier.It preferably comprises 0.1-3% by weight of cobalt and 0.1-3% by weight of nickel. It can be used in hydrogenation reactions, dehydrogenation reactions or hydrogenation/dehydrogenation reactions, in particular in the amination of alkylene oxides, alcohols, aldehydes or ketones with ammonia or primary or secondary amines.

Abstract: A process for preparing N-alkyl-substituted aminoalkynes by reacting an alkyne with a carbonyl compound and an amine with heterogeneous catalysis in which an unsupported copper acetylide derived from malachite is used as the catalyst. The N-alkyl-substituted aminoalkyne have a wide variety of uses including their use as precursors for pharmaceuticals, their use in electroplating processes and their use as corrosion inhibitors.

Abstract: N-Hydroxyalkyl-substituted aminoalkynes of the formula I ##STR1## are prepared by reacting an alkyne with a 1-oxa-3-azaheterocyclo-alkane in a reaction with heterogeneous catalysis by a catalyst which comprises a compound of a metal of the first or second sub-group.

Abstract: Preparation of heterocyclic aldehydes I ##STR1## (A, B=optionally substituted methylene groups; m, n=1 to 5; m+n>2), by hydrogenation of carboxylic acids IIa ##STR2## or one of their esters IIb derived from a C.sub.1 -C.sub.10 alcohol, at a temperature of from 200.degree. to 450.degree. C. over a catalyst.The end products are suitable as intermediates for herbicides of the cyclohexanone class.

Abstract: Aromatic aldehydes are prepared by catalytically reacting aromatic carboxylic acids or their esters with hydrogen in the gas phase at from 200.degree. to 450.degree. C. and from 0.1 to 20 bar in the presence of a zirconium dioxide/lanthanide catalyst having a high BET surface area of from 20 to 150 m.sup.2 /g, preferably from 40 to 150 m.sup.2 /g. The proportions by weight of the catalytically active mass range from 80 to 99.9% by weight of zirconium dioxide and from 0.01 to 20 %by weight of one or more lanthanide elements. This catalyst provides very high conversion rates of 94 to 100% together with a correspondingly high selectivity for the aldehyde product.

Abstract: A hydrogenation catalyst based on an alloy of aluminum and of a transition metal is prepared by preparing a kneaded material from the alloy and an assistant, converting the kneaded material into moldings, calcining the moldings and treating the calcined moldings with an alkali metal hydroxide, by a process in which the assistant used is(a) polyvinyl alcohol and water or(b) stearic acid,and the catalyst prepared according to the invention is used for hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis, in particular the partial hydrogenation of aliphatic alpha,omega-dinitriles to aliphatic alpha,omega-aminonitriles.

Abstract: A process for preparing aldehydes of the general formula I ##STR1## where R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are each hydrogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 -alkyl, C.sub.3 -C.sub.8 -cycloalkyl, aryl, C.sub.7 -C.sub.12 -alkylphenyl, C.sub.7 -C.sub.12 -phenylalkyl and R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are joined together to form a 3-, 4-, 5-, 6- or 7-membered cycloaliphatic ring,R.sup.1 and R.sup.3 are each C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkoxy, phenoxy, methylamino, dimethylamino or halogen, andR.sup.1 is additionally hydroxyl or aminocomprises reacting a carboxylic acid or ester of the general formula II ##STR2## where R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are each as defined above, andR.sup.4 is hydrogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 -alkyl, C.sub.3 -C.sub.8 -cycloalkyl, aryl, C.sub.7 -C.sub.12 -alkylphenyl or C.sub.7 -C.sub.12 -phenylalkyl,with hydrogen in the gas phase at temperatures from 200.degree. to 450.degree. C. and pressures from 0.1 to 20 bar in the presence of a catalyst whose catalytically active mass comprises from 60 to 99.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of a phenyl amine which may be substituted by alkyl or cycloalkyl in which the corresponding cyolohexylamine is reduced at temperatures of 150.degree. to 300.degree. C. and pressures of 0.01 to 50 bar in the presence of a heterogeneous dehydrogenation catalyst consisting essentially of palladium or a palladium/platinum mixture supported on carrier consisting of the oxides of rare earth metals and and metals of Group IVb of the Periodic Table of Elements, with the proviso that the palladium/platinum mixture may also be supported on an alumina carrier. The cyclohexylamine reactant can be advantageously prepared by reacting the corresponding phenol with ammonia and hydrogen at 100.degree. to 250.degree. C. in the presence of the same heterogeneous catalyst as a preliminary step to provide a two stage process using the same catalyst in both stages.

Abstract: Aliphatic alpha,omega-aminonitriles are prepared by partial hydrogenation of aliphatic alpha,omega-dinitriles at elevated temperatures in the presence of a catalyst in the gas phase by a process which comprises carrying out the hydrogenation with a catalyst based on at least one metal selected from the group consisting of nickel, cobalt, ruthenium and rhodium and with the proviso that the catalyst is not a powder.