Abstract: A process for the preparation of N-substituted maleimides by conducting heat-dehydration and dehydrating imidization of N-substituted maleamic acids under azeotropic distillation of generated water in a solvent mixture containing a solvent capable of forming water azeotrope and an organic aprotic polar solvent, in the presence as catalyst of a zinc salt of a maleamic acid, metallic zinc or a zinc compound which forms a zinc salt of the N-substituted maleamic acid in the reaction system.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of N-substituted maleimides by conducting heat-dehydration and dehydrating imidization of N-substituted maleamic acids under azeotropic distillation of generated water in a solvent mixture containing a solvent capable of forming water azeotrope and an organic aproptic polar solvent, in the presence as catalyst of metallic tin, tin oxide, a tin salt of a maleamic acid or a tin compound which forms a thin salt of the N-substituted maleamic acid in the reaction system.

Abstract: A process for the production of alcohols by the direct hydration of an olefin with water under liquid phase hydration conditions and in the presence of a catalytic amount of a sulfonic acid catalyst represented by the general formulae (1) or (2)ACF.sub.2 SO.sub.3 H (1)b(cf.sub.2 so.sub.3 h).sub.n (2)wherein A represents hydrogen, halogen, a sulfonic radical, a sulfodifluoromethyl radical or a monovalent unsubstituted aliphatic, alicyclic or aromatic residue consisting of hydrocarbon or fluorohydrocarbon radicals containing less than 20 carbon atoms and B represents a di-, tri- or tetravalent unsubstituted aliphatic, alicyclic or aromatic residue consisting of hydrocarbon or fluorohydrocarbon radicals containing less than 20 carbon atoms in direct corresponding to the value of n being 2, 3 or 4.