Abstract: Trimellitic acid is produced by oxidation of pseudocumene in acetic acid at temperatures between 130 and 240° C. in the presence of a catalyst composition containing cobalt, manganese and bromine. The process comprises the stages of: (i) simultaneously feeding pseudocumene and air or an oxygen-containing gas into a solution containing acetic acid and the catalyst composition, at an addition rate resulting in an oxygen concentration in the off-gas of less than 8 vol %, and at a temperature and a pressure sufficient to result in 5 to 25 mol % of the total amount of oxygen required to oxidize the pseudocumene to trimellitic acid being consumed, and (ii) feeding air or an oxygen-containing gas into the reaction mixture obtained in stage (i) until essentially all of the pseudocumene has been consumed and a molar yield of trimellitic acid of at least 90% has been obtained. There is no supplementation of catalyst after stage (i).

Abstract: Trimellitic acid is produced by oxidation of pseudocumene in acetic acid at temperatures between 130 and 240° C. in the presence of a catalyst composition containing cobalt, manganese and bromine. The process comprises the stages of: (i) simultaneously feeding pseudocumene and air or an oxygen-containing gas into a solution containing acetic acid and the catalyst composition, at an addition rate resulting in an oxygen concentration in the off-gas of less than 8 vol %, and at a temperature and a pressure sufficient to result in 5 to 25 mol % of the total amount of oxygen required to oxidize the pseudocumene to trimellitic acid being consumed, and (ii) feeding air or an oxygen-containing gas into the reaction mixture obtained in stage (i) until essentially all of the pseudocumene has been consumed and a molar yield of trimellitic acid of at least 90% has been obtained. There is no supplementation of catalyst after stage (i).

Abstract: Aliphatic carboxylic acids of formulae (Ib) R1—COOH(Ia) and R2—COOH wherein R1 is tertiary C4-20-alkyl and R2 together are —(CH2)n— with n=3 to 10, are produced by oxidizing an aliphatic or alicyclic ketone of the formula (II): wherein R1 and R2 are as defined above, with molecular oxygen in the presence of a soluble manganese (II) compound. The process has a high selectivity and is carried out under very mild conditions. It is especially useful for the production of dicarboxylic acids, such as, adipic acid, from cyclic ketones.

Abstract: Aliphatic carboxylic acids of formulae (Ib) R1—COOH (Ia) and R2—COOH wherein R1 is tertiary C4-20-alkyl and R2 together are —(CH2)n— with n=3 to 10, are produced by oxidizing an aliphatic or alicyclic ketone of the formula (II): wherein R1 and R2 are as defined above, with molecular oxygen in the presence of a soluble manganese (II) compound. The process has a high selectivity and is carried out under very mild conditions. It is especially useful for the production of dicarboxylic acids, such as, adipic acid, from cyclic ketones.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid by liquid phase oxidation in acidic solution of 2,6-dimethylnaphthalene in presence of a cobalt-manganese-bromine-catalyst. An oxygen containing feed gas is introduced into the reaction zone such that the oxygen content in the dry exhaust gas does not exceed 1 percent by volume.

Abstract: The invention concerns solid epoxidic cycloaliphatic hydroxylate resins, a process for the production thereof and compositions of hardenable powder-base paints containing the said resins. In particular, the said procedure enables solid epoxidic cycloaliphatic hydroxylate resins to be prepared with Tg≧35° C., epoxidic equivalent weight between 190 and 3,000, preferably between 250 and 2,000, Hydroxyl Number between 15 and 200 mg KOH/g, numeric molecular weight between 800 and 15,000, preferably lying between 1,000 and 10,000.

Abstract: Aliphatic carboxylic acids of formulae (Ib) R1—COOH(Ia) and R2—COOH wherein R1 is tertiary C4-20-alkyl and R2 is selected from hydrogen and C1-6-alkyl, or R1 and R2 together are —(CH2)n— with n=3 to 10, are produced by oxidizing an aliphatic or alicyclic ketone of formula (II), wherein R1 and R2 are as defined above, with molecular oxygen in the presence of a soluble manganese(II) compound. The process has a high selectivity and is carried out under very mild conditions. It is especially useful for the production of dicarboxylic acids such as adipic acid from cyclic ketones.

Abstract: Cycloaliphatic epoxy compounds represented by general formula (I): ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are hydrogen atoms, or R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 taken together represent an epoxy group, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 are the same or different and each represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, and Q is a linear or branched alkanediyl group with 2 to 16 carbon atoms and with the proviso that the adjacent nitrogen and oxygen atoms are not attached to the same carbon atom. The cycloaliphatic epoxy compounds can be used to produce cured epoxy resin compositions exhibiting superior mechanical properties, e.g., tensile and flexural strength and toughness.