Abstract: A method of producing methyl methacrylate comprises Step 1 of producing acetone cyanhydrin from hydrogen cyanide and acetone; Step 2 of producing .alpha.-hydroxyisobutyramide by hydrating acetone cyanhydrin; Step 3 of producing methyl .alpha.-hydroxyisobutyrate and ammonia by a reaction of .alpha.-hydroxyisobutyramide and methanol; Step 4 of producing methyl methacrylate by dehydrating methyl .alpha.-hydroxyisobutyrate; and Step 5 of producing hydrogen cyanide in vapor phase by reacting methanol and the ammonia obtained in Step 3 over a solid catalyst in the presence of molecular oxygen. By using methanol in the step 3, the conversion ratio of .alpha.-hydroxyisobutyramide into methyl .alpha.-hydroxyisobutyrate can be increased because the equilibrium of the reaction is easily sifted toward the product side by removing ammonia being produced from the reaction system.

Abstract: In an assembly line in which at least two kinds of workpieces are transported by mixture and in which each of the workpieces is transported by a self-propelling transporting member, a transporting pitch for each kind of workpiece is set in advance based on a difference in the number of assembling man-hours required for each of them. The timing for starting the transporting member off a starting end of the assembly line is controlled according to the transporting pitch such that a pitch between a preceding transporting member and a succeeding transporting member becomes equal to that which is set for a workpiece to be transported by the preceding transporting member.

Abstract: A method for preparing an alkylbenzoic acid is herein disclosed which comprises subjecting an alkylbenzene having at least two alkyl groups of 1 to 3 carbon atoms to a liquid phase oxidative reaction with a molecular oxygen-containing gas in the presence of a soluble heavy metal catalyst to convert one alkyl group into a carboxylic acid, thereby preparing the alkylbenzoic acid, and impurities contained in the alkylbenzene recovered from the reaction solution are removed therefrom by distillation, water washing, alkali washing, a treatment with an anion exchange resin or a treatment with a solid adsorbent, and the impurities-free fraction is reused as a raw material.Furthermore, the conversion of the desired product is regulated to 25% or less in the liquid phase oxidative reaction, whereby the reaction is carried out in a boiling heat removal state and reaction heat is removed as the heat of vaporization.

Abstract: A process for producing a 4-formyl-4'-methylbiphenyl from a biphenyl which comprises conducting the carbonylation of the biphenyl with carbon monoxide in the presence of a HF-BF.sub.3 catalyst in a carbonylation reactor to obtain the resulting reaction product solution containing a 4-formylbiphenyl, separating the 4-formylbiphenyl from the reaction product solution, hydrogenating the separated 4-formylbiphenyl to obtain a 4-methylbiphenyl, recycling the 4-methylbiphenyl to the carbonylation reactor, and then conducting both the carbonylation of the biphenyl with carbon monoxide to obtain a formylbiphenyl and the carbonylation of the 4-methylbiphenyl with carbon monoxide to obtain a 4-formyl-4'-methylbiphenyl simultaneously in the presence of the HF-BF.sub.3 catalyst in the carbonylation reactor.

Abstract: Carboxylic acid esters and formamide are efficiently obtained by reacting carboxylic acid amides and formic acid esters, or by reacting carboxylic acid amides, alcohols and carbon monoxide in the presence of a dehydrated condensate of carboxylic acid amide with an alkali metal hydroxide or an alkaline earth metal hydroxide catalyst.

Abstract: A process for preparing an amide by hydrating a cyanohydrin with a denatured manganese dioxide catalyst. The catalyst is prepared by reacting an aqueous permanganate solution and an aqueous manganese (II) compound solution in an acidic aqueous solution at a temperature of 70.degree. C. to 150.degree. C.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for producing methyl methacrylate which comprises:(I) a step of reacting prussic acid and acetone to form acetonecyanhydrin;(II) a step of hydrating the acetonecyanhydrin obtained in the step (I) to form .alpha.-hydroxyisobutyric acid amide;(III) a step of dehydrating the .alpha.-hydroxyisobutyric acid amide obtained in the step (II) to form methacrylic acid amide;(IV) a step of reacting the methacrylic acid amide obtained in the step (III) and methyl formate to form methyl methacrylate and formamide; and(V) a step of dehydrating formamide separated from the product obtained in the step (IV) to form prussic acid and recycling said prussic acid as a starting material in the step (I).The process produces methyl methacrylate with high selectivity without undesirable by-product such as ammonium sulfate.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for producing methyl methacrylate which comprises:(I) a step of reacting acetone and prussic acid to form acetonecyanhydrin;(II) a step of hydrating the acetonecyanhydrin obtained in the step (I) to form .alpha.-hydroxyisobutyric acid amide;(III) a step of reacting the .alpha.-hydroxyisobutyric acid amide obtained in the step (II) which methyl formate to form methyl .alpha.-hydroxyisobutyrate and formamide;(IV) a step of dehydrating the methyl .alpha.-hydroxyisobutyrate obtained in the step (III) to form methyl methancrylate; and(V) a step of decomposing the formamide obtained in the step (IV) into ammonia and carbon monoxide.The process can produce methyl methacrylate at high yields without by-production of acidic ammonium sulfate.

Abstract: A process for producing .alpha., .beta.-unsaturated carboxylic acid ester which comprises catalytically reacting .alpha.-hydroxycarboxylic acid ester with crystalline aluminosilicate catalyst, and then catalytic reacting the resulting reaction product with solid acid catalyst.According to the process, .alpha., .beta.-unsaturated carboxylic acid ester of a high purity, and a high quality, without by-product, can be produced efficiently.

Abstract: A process for producing a denatured manganese dioxide for the hydration reaction of cyanohydrins comprising reacting an aqueous permanganate salt solution and an aqueous manganese (II) compound in an acidic aqueous solution at a temperature of 70.degree. C. to 130.degree. C. is disclosed. The manganese dioxide catalyst obtained by the process exhibits a high activity over a long period in the preparation of an amide by the hydration of the corresponding cyanohydrin.

Abstract: A process for producing an .alpha.-hydroxyisobutyric acid which comprises hydrolyzing .alpha.-hydroxyisobutyric acid ester in the presence of an organic sulfonic acid catalyst, using an .alpha.-hydroxyisobutyric acid ester as the starting material.According to said process, .alpha.-hydroxyisobutyric acid can be efficiently produced.

Abstract: A process for production of 2,6-dimethylnaphthalene is disclosed; comprising the steps: (1) an acylation step where 2,4-dimethylisobutyrophenone is produced from m-xylene, propylene and carbon monoxide: (2) a hydrogenation step where the carbonyl group of the above 2,4-dimethylisobutyrophenone is hydrogenated: and (3) a dehydrogenation and cyclization step where the above hydrogenated product is subjected to dehydrogenation and cyclization to produce the desired 2,6-dimethylnaphthalene. The process enables efficiently producing high quality or high purity 2,6-dimethylnaphthalene.

Abstract: A process for production of 2,6-dimethylnaphthalene is disclosed, comprising the steps: (1) an acylation step where p-tolyl sec-butyl ketone is produced from toluene, n-butene and carbon monoxide: (2) a hydrogenation step where the carbonyl group of the p-tolyl sec-butyl ketone is hydrogenated: and (3) a dehydrogenation and cyclization step where the hydrogenated product obtained above is subjected to dehydrogenation and cyclization to produce the desired 2,6-dimethylnaphthalene. The process enables efficiently producing a high quality or high purity 2,6-dimethylnaphthalene.

Abstract: Carboxylic acid esters and formamide are efficiently obtained for reacting carboxylic acid amides and formic acid esters, or carboxylic acid amides, alcohols and carbon monoxide in the presence of an alkaline earth metal oxide catalyst.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for producing .alpha.-hydroxy-carboxylic acid amide represented by the formula (I): ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are as defined in the specification, by a catalytic hydration reaction of cyanohydrin represented by the formula (II): ##STR2## which comprises using a modified manganese dioxide containing one or more of an alkali metal element and an alkaline earth element in an amount of 0.05 to 0.5 based on the manganese element in terms of atomic ratio.

Abstract: A commercially economical process for preparing a carboxylic acid ester from a carboxylic acid amide is disclosed. The process is very meritorious, since it produces neither ammonia nor ammonium sulfates. Rather, the process by-produces formamides which are very useful compounds as solvents. Further, formamide can easily be converted to hydrogen cyanide by dehydration. The process comprises reacting a carboxylic acid amide with a formic acid ester and/or methanol and carbon monoxide in the presence of a bicyclic amidine or tertiary amine catalyst and optionally in the co-existence of a metal carbonyl. An industrial process for preparing methyl methacrylate which is a materialization of the process shown above is described in detail referring to a figure.

Abstract: A tertiary olefin is produced by contacting a gaseous tertiary ether usually represented by the following general formula: ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are alkyl groups each having 1-4 carbon atoms which may be same or different and R.sup.4 is an alkyl group having 1-3 carbon atoms, with a catalyst obtained by calcining a silica-alumina compound at 700.degree.-1100.degree. C. in order to effect cracking of the tertiary ether. This reaction may be carried out in the presence of steam to result in further improvements.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for the preparation of tertiary olefins which comprises catalytically decomposing a tertiary ether to a tertiary olefin, wherein the catalytic decomposition of the tertiary olefin is carried out in the presence of a solid phosphoric acid catalyst which has been calcined at a temperature of at least 500.degree. C. in an inert gas.

Abstract: A tertiary olefin is produced by making a gaseous tertiary ether usually represented by the following general formula: ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are alkyl groups each having 1-4 carbon atoms which may be same or different each other and R.sup.4 is an alkyl group having 1-3 carbon atoms, contact a catalyst obtained by calcining a silica-alumina compound at 700.degree.-1100.degree. C. in order to carry out cracking of the tertiary ether.

Abstract: An aromatic primary hydroperoxide is produced by oxidizing a methyl-substituted aromatic compound in a liquid phase with a molecular oxygen-containing gas at a temperature of 80.degree.-150.degree. C. under a pressure of the atmospheric to 100 kg/cm.sup.2 gage in the presence of 8-300 parts by weight of an aliphatic tertiary hydroperoxide per 100 parts by weight of the methyl-substituted aromatic compound. The oxidation reaction is promoted, an aromatic primary hydroperoxide content of the reaction products is increased, whereas by-products are reduced, and a selectivity to the aromatic primary hydroperoxide is considerably increased.