Abstract: A process for preparing cyclododecanone by reacting cyclododecene with dinitrogen monoxide, comprising in particular steps (I) and (II): (I) preparing cyclododecene by partially hydrogenating cyclododecatriene; (II) reacting cyclododecene obtained in (I) with dinitrogen monoxide to obtain cyclododecanone.

Abstract: A process for preparing an N-alkyllactam with improved color quality, wherein from 0.01 to 10% by weight of a C1-10-alcohol or a compound which releases from 0.01 to 10% by weight of a C1-10-alcohol is added to the N-alkyllactam. A mixture comprising at least 99.0% by weight of an N-alkyllactam and in the range from 100 to 5000 ppm by weight of a C1-10-alcohol or of an acetal, aminal or of an Orthoester which releases in the range from 100 to 5000 ppm by weight of a C1-10-alcohol.

Abstract: A process for preparing an N-alkyllactam with improved color quality, wherein from 0.01 to 10% by weight of a C1-10-alcohol or a compound which releases from 0.01 to 10% by weight of a C1-10-alcohol is added to the N-alkyllactam. A mixture comprising at least 99.0% by weight of an N-alkyllactam and in the range from 100 to 5000 ppm by weight of a C1-10-alcohol or of an acetal, aminal or of an orthoester which releases in the range from 100 to 5000 ppm by weight of a C1-10-alcohol.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for preparing ?-caprolactone from 6-hydroxycaproic ester in the gas phase in the presence of activated carbon as a catalyst and subsequent distillation.

Abstract: The invention relates to a catalyst provided in the form of an extrudate, which contains 5 to 85% by weight of copper oxide and comprises, in the active material and as binders, the same oxidic carrier material. The invention also relates to the use of the catalyst for hydrogenating carbonyl compounds.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for preparing ?-caprolactone in a purity of more than 99% by cyclizing 6-hydroxycaproic esters in the liquid phase at from 150 to 400° C. and from 1 to 1020 hPa abs., and removing and condensing the compounds which are volatile under cyclization conditions, which comprises thermally treating the remaining bottom product of the cyclization in at least one further reactor, removing and condensing volatile compounds and obtaining ?-caprolactone by distillation from the condensates.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for changing the given mean molecular weight Mn in the continuous preparation of polytetrahydrofuran or tetrahydrofuran copolymers, the mono- or diesters of polytetrahydrofuran or of tetrahydrofuran copolymers by polymerizing tetrahydrofuran in the presence of a telogen and/or of a comonomer over an acidic catalyst, wherein a) the molar ratio of telogen to tetrahydrofuran or to tetrahydrofuran and comonomer is changed, b) then the mean molecular weight of at least one sample is determined, c) until the mean molecular weight thus determined differs from the molecular weight to be achieved by the change, the already formed polytetrahydrofuran or the tetrahydrofuran copolymers, the mono- or diesters of polytetrahydrofuran or tetrahydrofuran copolymer is at least partly depolymerized over an acidic catalyst and d) the tetrahydrofuran recovered by depolymerization is recycled at least partly into the polymerization.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for purifying a composition (I) comprising at least one cyclic ketone having from 7 to 16 carbon atoms, which comprises thermal treatment of the composition (I) with a catalyst comprising at least one transition metal and further purification by means of a process selected from the group consisting of distillation, extraction and crystallization. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a process for preparing cyclododecanone, which comprises such a purification, and the use of at least one catalyst comprising at least one transition metal for purifying a composition (I) comprising at least one cyclic ketone having from 7 to 16 carbon atoms by thermal treatment of the composition (I) with a catalyst comprising at least one transition metal.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for preparing at least one cyclic compound with Z cycles and 7 to 16 carbon atoms with a keto group, at least comprising the stages: (a1) oxidation of a composition (A), at least comprising one cyclic olefin with Z cycles and 7 to 16 carbon atoms and at least two C—C double bonds, by means of dinitrogen monoxide to give a composition (A1), (a2) separating off the at least one cyclic olefin with Z cycles and 7 to 16 carbon atoms with at least two C—C double bonds from the composition (A1) in order to obtain a composition (A2), and (b) distillative treatment of the composition (A2) from step (a2) in order to obtain a composition (B), comprising the at least one cyclic compound with Z cycles and 7 to 16 carbon atoms with a keto group and less than 1.0% by weight of the at least one compound with Z?1 cycles and 7 to 16 carbon atoms with at least one aldehyde group, where Z can be 1, 2, 3 or 4.

Abstract: The present invention provides an integrated process for continuously preparing 1,4-butanediol, which comprises the following stages: (I) reacting formaldehyde with acetylene in the presence of a copper catalyst at a pH of from 5 to 8 and a molar ratio of formaldehyde to acetylene of at most 2:1, (II) intermediately buffering the resulting butynediol-containing aqueous mixture for from 0.1 to 100 h, (III) hydrogenating the mixture obtained after the intermediate buffering and (IV) distilling the hydrogenation product obtained in stage III to obtain 1,4-butanediol.

Abstract: The present application relates to a process for reacting a composition I comprising at least one aldehyde with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst in at least one main reactor and at least one postreactor, wherein at least 50% of the fresh hydrogen fed to the reaction system is fed into at least one postreactor. In a preferred embodiment, composition I comprises at least one further organic compound.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for preparing ?-caprolactone in a purity above 99%, in which 6-hydroxycaproic ester comprising from 0.5 to 40% by weight of adipic diester is cyclized in the gas phase at from 150 to 450° C. in the presence of oxidic catalysts and ?-caprolactone is obtained from the cyclization product by distillation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for preparing a cyclic ketone having from 7 to 16 carbon atoms, which comprises at least the steps (a) oxidation of a composition (I) comprising at least one cyclic alkene which has from 7 to 16 carbon atoms and at least one C—C double bond by means of dinitrogen monoxide to give a composition (A), (b) treatment of the composition (A) with at least one base to give a composition (B), (c) hydrogenation of the composition (B) in the presence of at least one catalyst to give a composition (C), (d) purification of the composition (C), comprising at least the steps (di) thermal treatment of the composition (C) with at least one acid or at least one catalyst comprising at least one transition metal, (dii) further purification by a method selected from the group consisting of distillation, extraction and crystallization.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for purifying a composition (I) comprising at least one cyclic ketone having from 7 to 16 carbon atoms, which comprises thermal treatment of the composition (I) with at least one acid and further purification by means of a process selected from the group consisting of distillation, extraction and crystallization, Furthermore, the present invention relates to a process for preparing cyclododecanone, which comprises such a purification, and the use of at least one acid for purifying a composition (I) comprising at least one cyclic ketone having from 7 to 16 carbon atoms by thermal treatment of the composition (I) with the acid.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for distillatively purifying crude aqueous 1,4-butanediol (1), in which 1,4-butanediol (5) freed of components having lower boiling points than 1,4-butanediol and water is passed through three distillation columns (III, IV, V), components having a higher boiling point than 1,4-butanediol are drawn off from the bottom of the first column and conducted into the third (7), 1,4-butanediol from the top of the first column (6) is conducted into the second, the bottom product of the second column (9) is conducted into the third, the top product of the third column (11) is recycled at least partly into the first column, wherein the very pure 1,4-butanediol is withdrawn from a side draw of the second column.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for preparing 2-methyltetrahydrofuran by one-stage hydrogenation of furfural with a hydrogen-comprising gas in the presence of a supported catalyst which comprises at least one noble metal from groups 8, 9 and/or 10 of the periodic table of the elements.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for preparing 2-methyltetrahydrofuran by one-stage hydrogenation of furfural with a hydrogen-comprising gas in the presence of a structured bed of at least one copper catalyst and at least one catalyst which comprises at least one noble metal from groups 8, 9 and/or 10 of the periodic table of the elements applied on a support material.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for preparing a compound II or a composition comprising the compound II to a composition comprising succinimide and to a composition prepared by the process according to the invention

Abstract: The present invention provides an integrated process for continuously preparing 1,4-butanediol, which comprises the following stages: (I) reacting formaldehyde with acetylene in the presence of a copper catalyst at a pH of from 5 to 8 and a molar ratio of formaldehyde to acetylene of at most 2:1, (II) intermediately buffering the resulting butynediol-containing aqueous mixture for from 0.1 to 100 h, (III) hydrogenating the mixture obtained after the intermediate buffering and (IV) distilling the hydrogenation product obtained in stage III to obtain 1,4-butanediol.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for preparing a cyclic ketone having from 7 to 16 carbon atoms, which comprises at least the steps (a) oxidation of a composition (I) comprising at least one cyclic olefin which has from 7 to 16 carbon atoms and at least one C—C double bond by means of dinitrogen monoxide to give a composition (A), (b) treatment of the composition (A) with at least one base to give a composition (B).