Abstract: A catayltic process for the hydrogenation of aromatic polymers is disclosed. The catalyst used in the process is a metal or mixture of metals of sub-group VIII of the periodic table together with a support of silicon dioxide, aluminum oxide or a mixture thereof. The catalyst, having pores is characaterized in that the pores having diameters of 100 to 1,000 Å constitute less than 15 percent of the total volume of pores. The hydrogenation, that is carried out in the presence of at least one oxygen-containing hydrocarbon is characterized in that it is essentially complete and without significant degradation of molecular weights.

Abstract: A process for the hydrogenation of aromatic polymers is disclosed. Accordingly, the solvent used comprise an ether that contains no &agr;-hydrogen atom on a carbon atom adjacent to the ether function. The process results in virtually complete hydrogenation of the aromatic units.

Abstract: Amorphous polymers, including homopolymers and co-polymers, containing residues of vinyl cyclohexane and/or substituted vinyl cyclohexane are described. The polymers of the present invention have a syndiotactic configuration in which the quantity of diads is greater than 50.1% and less than 74%. The polymers of the invention have high transparency, low birefringence and high heat defection temperature, and can be used to prepare molded articles (e.g., optical data storage media and lenses) and films.

Abstract: Described is a process for preparing an aromatic carbonate, e.g., diphenyhl carbonate, in which an aromatic hydroxy compound, e.g., phenol, is reacted with carbon monoxide and oxygen in the resence of a supported catalst prepared by a sol-gel process, a quatermary ammonium or phosphonium salt and a base. The sol-gel supported catlyst comprises: (i) a first metal oxide selected from the group consisting of silicon oxide, aluminum oxide, titanium oxide, zirconium oxide and mixtures thereof; (ii) a second metal oxide selected from the group consisting of oxides of the elements of groups 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14, the iron group (atomic numbers 26 to 28), the rare-earth metals (atomic numbers 58 to 71) and mixtures thereof; and (iii) a metal selected from the group consisting of platinum metals, compounds of platinum metals (atomic numbers 44 to 46 and 77 and 78) and mixtures thereof. The sol-gel supported catlyst is aged, dried and optionally annealed prior to use in the process of the present invention.

Abstract: A catalyst containing (i) at least one oxide of an element selected from the group consisting of silicon, aluminum, titanium and zirconium and (ii) at least one metal oxide of an element selected from groups 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13 and 14, the iron group and the rare earth metals, and (iii) at least one platinum metal or compound of platinum metal is disclosed. A method for preparing the catalyst and a process for preparing an organic carbonate using the catalyst are also disclosed.

Abstract: A platinum metal-containing supported catalyst in which the support contains mixed oxides of metals, transition metals and semiconductor elements, which can act as redox catalysts under the reaction conditions is disclosed. Also disclosed is the preparation of these catalysts and their use in a process for preparing diaryl carbonates.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing and purifying tetrabutyl ammonium phenolate diphenol adduct by reacting an alkali phenolate with tetrabutyl ammonium salts in an aqueous phase and subsequently precipitating the adduct by adding phenol.

Abstract: Platinum metal-containing catalyst systems, which comprise at least one platinum metal, a co-catalyst and other salts, and which are used for the production of diaryl carbonates by the oxidative reaction of aromatic hydroxy compounds with carbon monoxide, can be reactivated by treating the deactivated catalyst system in the liquid phase with an oxidising agent, removing the excess oxidising agent, and reacting the reactivated catalyst system with a carboxylate or diketonate.

Abstract: In the process for preparing an aromatic carbonate from an aromatic hydroxy compound, CO and O.sub.2 in the presence of a quaternary salt and a base, use is advantageously made of supported catalysts which, in the reaction-ready state, contain a platinum metal, a platinum metal compound or a complex containing a platinum metal compound on a support comprising a metal oxide whose metal can occur in a plurality of oxidation states.

Abstract: Hydrogenation products of copolymers prepared by ring-opening metathetical polymerisation of a cyano-substituted norbornene and at least one multicyclic olefin, which contains 95.5 to 5 wt. % of the cyano-substituted norbornene incorporated in the polymer and in which at least 60% of the initially present olefinic double bonds have been saturated by hydrogenation and the preparation of the new hydrogenation products by polymerisation in the presence of a catalyst and optionally a chain transfer agent at -20.degree. C. to 100.degree. C. at atmospheric pressure in an inert solvent, followed by hydrogenation in the presence of a homogeneous or heterogeneous hydrogenation catalyst at 0.degree. C. to 200.degree. C. under a hydrogen pressure of 2 to 200 bar in an inert solvent.

Abstract: Catalyst systems with a content of a platinum-group-metal catalyst, a co-catalyst, a quaternary salt and a base for the oxidative carbonylation of aromatic hydroxy compounds to the corresponding diaryl carbonates are according to the invention obtained as a mother liquor by suspension crystallization and can be returned into the carbonylation reaction or worked up to valuable materials. The crystallizate, which consists predominantly of diaryl carbonate and the parent aromatic hydroxy compound, is worked up to pure diaryl carbonate and pure hydroxy compound.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for producing diaryl carbonates by the reaction of an aromatic hydroxy compound (e.g. phenol) with carbon monoxide and oxygen in the presence of a catalyst, a co-catalyst, a quaternary salt and a base, which is characterised in that the reaction is conducted in a melt comprising the diaryl carbonate and the hydroxy compound on which the carbonate is based, and further diaryl carbonate is optionally added to this reaction mixture before work-up.

Abstract: Catalyst systems with a content of a platinum-group-metal catalyst, a co-catalyst, a quaternary salt and a base for the oxidative carbonylation of aromatic hydroxy compounds to the corresponding diaryl carbonates are obtained according to the invention as a residual melt by melt crystallization and can be returned into the carbonylation reaction or worked up to valuable materials. The melt crystallizate, which consists predominantly of diaryl carbonate and the parent aromatic hydroxy compound, is worked up to pure diaryl carbonate and pure hydroxy compound.

Abstract: In the process for the production of diaryl carbonates by oxidative carbonylation of the underlying aromatic hydroxy compounds in the presence of a catalyst containing a platinum group metal, a co-catalyst, a quaternary salt and a base, the catalyst is used as a supported catalyst in a stationary arrangement or in the fluid phase and the reaction is performed in the condensed phase. The co-catalyst is preferably also attached to the support.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for preparing a diaryl carbonate by oxidative carbonylation of the basic aromatic hydroxy compound, in which the aromatic hydroxy compound is the one which is eliminated during melt polycondensation of this diaryl carbonate with a bisphenol. Accordingly the invention also relates to the preparation of polycarbonates by melt polycondensation of diaryl carbonates with bisphenols in which the aromatic hydroxy compounds which is eliminated is used again to prepare the diaryl carbonate. In the event that the aromatic hydroxy compound eliminated is also the basic unit in the bisphenol used, proportions of it may be used to prepare both the diaryl carbonate and the bisphenol.

Abstract: Diaryl carbonate and an aromatic hydroxy compound are simultaneously separated from a crude reaction mixture for producing diaryl carbonates by oxidative carbonylation of the aromatic hydroxy compound and containing the diaryl carbonate and excess hydroxy compound together with the catalyst system, consisting of a noble-metal catalyst, co-catalyst, quaternary salt and a base. The crude reaction mixture is mixed with a covalent aprotic extraction agent, a phase separation is carried out into a donor phase containing the catalyst system and a recipient phase containing the diaryl carbonate and the hydroxy compound in concentrated form, and the diaryl carbonate and the hydroxy compound are isolated from the recipient phase.

Abstract: In the preparation of diaryl carbonates from an aromatic hydroxy compound, CO and O.sub.2, use is made not only of a quaternary salt, a base, a platinum metal catalyst and a cocatalyst, but additionally of a heterogeneous promoter which is a compound of the formulaA.sub.x B.sub.y C.sub.z,whereA and B are each, independently of one another, an element of group IIIA, IVA, VA, IIIB, IVB, VB, VIB or VIIB of the Periodic Table of the Elements (Mendeleev),C represents an element of the 2nd period of the Periodic Table of the Elements (Mendeleev),x is a number from 1 to 3,y is a number from 0 to 3 andz is a number from 1 to 12.

Abstract: In a new process for the production of aromatic carbonates from aromatic hydroxy compound, CO and O.sub.2 in contact with a platinum-group metal catalyst, a co-catalyst, a quaternary salt and a base at elevated temperature and elevated pressure, an improvement is achieved if the reaction water is removed continuously from a partial flow of the reaction under reduced pressure and largely isothermal conditions and the dehydrated partial flow is again supplied to the reaction.

Abstract: A process is described for working up liquid reaction mixtures such as are formed during dimethyl carbonate preparation by oxidative carbonylation of methanol in the presence of a copper-containing catalyst, which process permits a simple separation of the water of reaction from the dimethyl carbonate. In this process, in a first distillation column, the water of reaction is taken from the bottom of the column; the top product from the first column is separated in a second column, under increased pressure, into dimethyl carbonate as bottom product and into a top product which is predominantly composed of methanol. The top product from the distillative working-up in the second column, which is predominantly composed of methanol, is recycled to the reaction process.

Abstract: Organic carbonates which contain at least one aromatic ester group can be obtained continuously from carbonates, which contain at least one aliphatic ester group, and a phenolic compound in the presence of a transesterification catalyst known per se in that the reaction is carried out in a bubble column reactor or in a cascade of at least two bubble column reactors in such a way that the phenolic compound is metered into the first bubble column and the carbonate containing at least one aliphatic ester group is metered into each individual bubble column, but preferably only into the last bubble column. The carbonate containing at least one aromatic ester group is taken off in the liquid state from the last bubble column. Volatile reaction products, for example eliminated alcohol or a dialkyl carbonate are taken off at the upper end of each individual bubble column, preferably at the upper end of the first bubble column.