Abstract: 2-Pyrrolidone is purified by contact with particulate calcium oxide for a sufficient time at elevated temperatures followed by distilling and condensing the purified 2-pyrrolidone.

Abstract: This invention relates to catalytic hydrogenation of organic compounds containing carbonyl groups, and, particularly, to the effective and rapid reduction of the carbonyl group to the corresponding hydroxy group, sometimes even very selectively in the presence of a carbon-to-carbon unsaturated group in the same compound, using as a hydrogenation catalyst Raney nickel having molybdenum adsorbed thereon.

Abstract: This invention provides an improved Raney nickel catalyst characterized by having a molybdenum compound adsorbed thereon. The novel catalyst contains about 0.5-15 parts by weight of molybdenum adsorbed per 100 parts by weight of Raney nickel solids. Optionally, one or more additional metals may be included in the catalyst. The catalyst is particularly effective in the manufacture of high quality butanediol by hydrogenation of butynediol, and for selective hydrogenation of carbonyl groups, sometimes even in the presence of carbon-carbon unsaturation, e.g. for the conversion of furfural to furfuryl alcohol.