Abstract: To produce methacrylic acid, firstly, isobutyraldehyde is acetalized. The resultant acetal is cleaved into the isobutenyl ether and alcohol. The isobutenyl ether is oxidized with molecular oxygen or an oxygen-containing gaseous mixture in the presence of an alkaline solution at temperatures of 30.degree.-70.degree. C. to obtain the epoxide. This epoxide is hydrolyzed to the .alpha.-hydroxyisobutyraldehyde. The latter is then oxidized with concentrated or fuming nitric acid at temperatures of 20.degree.-110.degree. C. to produce .alpha.-hydroxyisobutyric acid, and methacrylic acid is obtained therefrom by splitting off water.

Abstract: A process for producing a 3,3-dimethyl-2-alkoxyoxirane comprises oxidizing a 1-alkoxy-2-methylpropene with molecular oxygen in the liquid phase, at a temperature of 25.degree.-70.degree. C., optionally in the presence of an alkaline compound.

Abstract: A process for preparing a methyl-blocked ethoxylate comprises heating at 180.degree.-320.degree. C., in the presence of a catalytically effective amount of a noble metal catalyst, an unsubstituted ethoxylate of 3 or more ethoxy units, or a monoalkyl-, monoaryl-, mono- or di-alkylamino- or mono- or di-arylamino ethoxylate of 2 or more ethoxy units, or a monoalkyl- or monoaryl-N,N-bis(ethoxylate) of 2 or more ethoxy units, all of which are derived from vicinal glycols, whereby there is prepared a corresponding methyl-blocked ethoxylate product which, for an unsubstituted ethoxylate starting material is a dimethylethoxylate having two fewer ethoxy units than the starting ethoxylate, and for the other ethoxylate starting materials, is a methylethoxylate having one less ethoxy unit in each ethoxylate group of the starting material.

Abstract: A continuous process for the partial oxidation of methane to produce mixtures of formaldehyde and methanol wherein methane and an oxidizing gas are reacted in a reaction zone in the form of a flame and the resulting reaction mixture is cooled followed by separation of the resulting products, is further improved by controlling the velocity of the oxidizing gas so that it is 50 to 300 meters per second higher than the methane gas with the methane gas being introduced in a velocity of from 1 to 15 meters per second. Also, the stream of methane gas has a volume that is 3 to 100 times greater than the volume of the stream of oxidizing gas introduced into the reaction zone.

Abstract: Vanadate catalysts used in the preparation of acetic acid by gas-phase oxidation of butenes and of oxygen compounds derived from butene or from propane in the presence of steam are improved by treating with hydrochloric acid, following calcining, and then washing, drying and calcining a second time.

Abstract: A continuous process for the production of acetic acid by a catalytic gas-phase oxidation of butenes in the presence of a vanadate catalyst and steam and in a solid bed or fluidized bed reactor cycle is disclosed wherein the recycled gas stream contains acetic acid produced by the reaction of the butenes and oxygen or oxygen containing gases, and the butene proportion in the gaseous mixture is at least 0.4 percent by volume. A first portion of the gas stream leaving the reactor cycle is recycled and a second portion of the gas stream leaving the reactor is cooled whereby acetic acid and water are condensed. After branching the waste gas the remaining gaseous fraction of the second portion is recycled into the reactor. The volume ratio of this remaining gaseous fraction to the first portion is about 0 to 0.2 for an air feed and about 0.1 to 0.4 for an oxygen feed. The acetic acid has a concentration in the effluent gas of the reactor of about 1.5 to 10 percent by volume.