Abstract: Improved iminium based processes for the production of cyanoacrylates and methylidene malonates wherein the improvement pertains to the presence of acid chlorides and/or acid anhydrides in the reaction mix.

Abstract: A process for the separation of unwanted ferric, iron and zinc impurities from a cobalt sulphate solution containing these impurities, the process including the steps of (i) reacting the cobalt sulphate solution with an organic reagent specific for the removal of iron and zinc at an initial pH of less 2.8 to remove the majority of the unwanted ferric iron impurities; and (ii) slowly raising the pH of the solution to about 3.5 in order to remove zinc impurities and any remaining ferric iron impurities.

Abstract: A process for the preparation and purification of a cobalt oxide hydroxide intermediate from a cobalt sulphate solution containing cationic and anionic impurities, including the successive steps of (i) contacting the cobalt sulphate solution with an organic reagent to extract iron and zinc cationic impurities from the sulphate solution; (ii) extracting the cobalt from the sulphate solution with an organic reagent to produce a cobalt loaded organic phase substantially free of all anionic impurities; (iii) stripping the cobalt loaded organic phase with a concentrated ammoniacal ammonium carbonate solution to produce an ammoniacal ammonium carbonate strip liquor rich in cobalt II ammines; (iv) oxidizing the cobalt II ammines in the ammoniacal ammonium carbonate strip liquor to cobalt III tetraammines; (v) extracting the majority of nickel impurity from the cobalt III tetraammine rich ammoniacal liquor with an organic reagent; and (vi) recovering the cobalt from the cobalt III tetraammine rich ammoniacal liquor.

Abstract: A process for the separation and recovery of nickel from an ammoniacal ammonium carbonate liquor containing nickel II ions and cobalt III ions by liquid-liquid extraction where ammoniacal ammonium carbonate solutions are the only aqueous phases involved in the process. The process includes the successive steps of: (a) oxidizing the majority of any cobalt II ammines in the ammoniacal liquid to cobalt III; (b) extracting nickel from the ammoniacal liquor with an organic reagent, which reagent may also contain a suitable modifying reagent, to form a nickel loaded organic phase and an ammoniacal ammonium carbonate phase containing cobalt; (c) stripping the nickel loaded organic phase characterized by contacting the organic phase with an ammoniacal ammonium carbonate solution to form a nickel loaded aqueous strip liquor.

Abstract: The invention involves a two step chemical transformation of a steroidal 17-cyanohydrin (II) ##STR1## to a 17.alpha.-hydroxy-21-halo-20-keto steroid (IV) ##STR2## intermediate which can readily be converted to pharmaceutically useful corticoids.