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: 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: Dimethyl formamide is produced in high yield with good selectivity by reaction of monomethylamine and trimethylamine, or together with dimethylamine, with carbon monoxide in the presence of metallic iron or an iron compound such as oxide, hydroxide, sulfide, inorganic acid salt, organic acid salt or carbonyl compound of iron.

Abstract: Dimethyl formamide with a high purity is produced in a high yield and a high selectivity by reaction of a mixture of monomethylamine and/or monomethyl formamide and trimethylamine, or the mixture further containing dimethylamine with carbon monoxide in the presence of metallic iron or an iron compound as a catalyst and hydrogen gas at a volumic rate of H.sub.2 /CO of 0.05-3.

Abstract: Dimethylformamide mg.multidot.produced by reaction of monomethylamine and trimethylamine at a molar ratio of trimethylamine to monomethylamine of 0.1-10, with carbon monoxide in the presence of 1-500 mg. atom of at least one of iodine, bromine, iodides and bromides as a catalyst in term of halogen per one mole of raw material methylamines at a temperature of 100.degree.-350.degree. C. under a pressure of at least 50 kg/cm.sup.2 gage. Dimethylformamide is produced in a very high yield with a high selectivity from monomethylamine and trimethylamine having less demand among three species of methylamines formed from methanol and ammonia.

Abstract: A process for preparing a methylphenol from an alkylbenzene which process comprises oxidizing by molecular oxygen an alkylbenzene having one secondary alkyl group and 1-3 methyl groups of the general formula I ##STR1## where R is a secondary alkyl group and n is an integer of 1-3, acid-decomposing the oxidation product solution in the presence of an acid catalyst, stopping the acid-decomposition reaction before its completion, hydrogenating the acid decomposition product solution in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst in the presence or absence of a solvent, and recovering the resulting methylphenol of the general formula II ##STR2## where n is an integer of 1-3 from the hydrogenation product solution.

Abstract: Dimethyl formamide is produced in high yield with high selectivity by reaction of monomethyl formamide with trimethylamine and carbon monoxide in the presence of a catalyst such as halogen elements, halides, inorganic acids, solid acids and metal carbonyls at a temperature of 150.degree. to 300.degree. C under a pressure of 20 kg/cm.sup.2 gage or higher.

Abstract: A process for preparing hydroperoxide by autoxidizing secondary alkyl group-substituted methylbenzenes in the presence of water comprises using as a catalyst a water-soluble chelate compound in which multidentate ligands are coordinated to at least one member selected from the class of cobalt, nickel, manganese, copper and iron.