Abstract: A process for producing a catalyst for cyanhydrin hydration, which comprises a manganese oxide as a main component and is excellent in both physical strength and reaction activity, is provided, as well as a catalyst for cyanhydrin hydration obtained by the production process. Specifically, a process for producing a catalyst which is useful for cyanhydrin hydration and contains a manganese oxide as a main component, potassium, and one or more elements selected from the group consisting of bismuth, vanadium and tin, in which the above compounds are mixed together in an aqueous system; the resulting slurry precipitate is subjected to solid-liquid separation; and the resulting hydrous cake is dried in at least two separate stages comprising a predrying and a main drying, is provided, as well as a catalyst for cyanhydrin hydration obtained by the production process.

Abstract: An efficient process for producing glycidyl 2-hydroxyisobutyrate useful as a reactive diluent is provided. When glycidyl 2-hydroxyisobutyrate is produced by reacting allyl 2-hydroxyisobutyrate with hydrogen peroxide, a solution in which allyl 2-hydroxyisobutyrate is dissolved in an aliphatic ester as a solvent is reacted with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of a crystalline titanosilicate catalyst. Thus, a production process of glycidyl 2-hydroxyisobutyrate, which is small in degradation of purity and yield due to generation of peroxides or the like, and products thereof are provided.

Abstract: In the production of a nuclear-hydrogenated polymer, the hydrogenation of an aromatic vinyl compound—(meth)acrylate copolymer is conducted in a mixed solvent comprising an ester compound and an alcohol compound in the presence of a catalyst. By this method, a highly transparent nuclear-hydrogenated polymer is produced safely, stably and quickly, even when the degree of nuclear-hydrogenation is low.

Abstract: A process for producing a hydrogenated polymer, which includes a step of hydrogenating aromatic rings of an aromatic vinyl compound—(meth)acrylate copolymer. In the process, the copolymer having a ratio, A/B, of from 0.25 to 4.0 (A is a molar number of constitutional units derived from the (meth)acrylate monomer, and B is a molar number of constitutional units derived from the aromatic vinyl monomer) is hydrogenated in a solvent in the presence of a catalyst which is composed of zirconium oxide supporting palladium. By the process, a highly transparent, hydrogenated polymer is stably and rapidly produced for a long period of time or repeatedly.

Abstract: In the production of a nuclear-hydrogenated polymer, the hydrogenation of an aromatic vinyl compound—(meth)acrylate copolymer is conducted in a mixed solvent comprising an ester compound and an alcohol compound in the presence of a catalyst. By this method, a highly transparent nuclear-hydrogenated polymer is produced safely, stably and quickly, even when the degree of nuclear-hydrogenation is low.

Abstract: In the production method of the invention, a cyclic aldehyde having an alkyl group and/or a cycloalkyl group directly bonded to a skeletal ring and a formyl group directly bonded to the skeletal ring is brought into contact with ammonia and oxygen in vapor phase in the presence of a catalyst. As a result thereof, the formyl group is selectively ammoxidized into a cyano group to convert the cyclic aldehyde into a corresponding cyclic nitrile. The method enables a long-term, high-yield production of the cyclic nitrile using a reduced amount of ammonia.

Abstract: A cyanate ester compound represented by the formula (1), wherein Ar2 represents a phenylene group, a naphthylene group or a biphenylene group, Ar1 represents a naphthylene group or a biphenylene group when Ar2 is a phenylene group, or Ar1 represents a phenylene group, a naphthylene group or a biphenylene group when Ar2 is a naphthylene group or a biphenylene group, Rx represents all substituents of Ar1 each Rx is the same or different and represents hydrogen, an alkyl group or an aryl group, Ry represents all substituents of Ar2, each Ry is the same or different and represents hydrogen, an alkyl group or an aryl group, and n is an integer of 1 to 50.

Abstract: In the production method of the invention, a cyclic aldehyde having an alkyl group and/or a cycloalkyl group directly bonded to a skeletal ring and a formyl group directly bonded to the skeletal ring is brought into contact with ammonia and oxygen in vapor phase in the presence of a catalyst. As a result thereof, the formyl group is selectively ammoxidized into a cyano group to convert the cyclic aldehyde into a corresponding cyclic nitrile. The method enables a long-term, high-yield production of the cyclic nitrile using a reduced amount of ammonia.

Abstract: There is disclosed a process for producing allyl 2-hydroxyisobutyrate useful as a raw material for agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals, which comprises reacting methyl 2-hydroxyisobutyrate with allyl alcohol preferably by means of reactional distillation in the presence of a transesterification catalyst preferably comprising titanium tetramethoxide or titanium tetraisopropoxide under solventless mild reaction conditions including a reaction temperature in the range of 80 to 150.degree. C. and a reaction time in the range of 10 minutes to 12 hours. The process enables efficient and easy production of the objective allyl 2-hydroxxyisobutyrate in high yield and high efficiency without the need of troublesome operations.

Abstract: Provided is a process for producing acetic acid by carrying out reaction of methyl formate in the presence of a Group VIII metal catalyst, at least one iodine compound, acetic acid and carbon monoxide, continuously drawing a reaction mixture from a reactor, introducing the reaction mixture into a flash distillation zone, separating an evaporated component and an unevaporated component, recycling the unevaporated component to the reaction zone, and obtaining acetic acid from the evaporated component, wherein formic acid and methyl formate are allowed to coexist in the flash distillation zone and/or the recycling zone. According to this process, no loss of methyl formate and formic acid is caused and only methyl formate is used as a starting material with basically requiring no supply of carbon monoxide.

Abstract: A process for preparing a lactate which includes: (a) preparing lactonitrile from prussic acid and acetaldehyde, (b) hydrating the lactonitrile to form lactamide, (c) forming the desired lactate and formamide from lactamide and formate (or methanol and carbon monoxide), (d) separating and collecting components, having a lower boiling point than that of lactate from the reaction liquid in step (c), by distillation under specified conditions, and (e) dehydrating formamide from step (d) to form prussic acid and recycling the prussic acid to step (a). Heretofore, lactates had been manufactured by forming lactonitrile (cyanohydrin) from acetaldehyde and prussic acid, and then esterifying lactonitrile with a mineral acid or the like. However, in this conventional process, ammonium salts were formed as by-products in an amount equal to that of the lactate.

Abstract: A process for producing methyl methacrylate through gas-phase catalytic reaction of methyl .alpha.-hydroxyisobutyrate as the starting raw material which process comprises feeding methanol in an amount by weight of 0.1 to 3.0 times the amount of the methyl .alpha.-hydroxyisobutyrate in a reaction system and proceeding with the gas-phase catalytic reaction in the presence of a catalyst comprising a synthetic faujasite zeolite having a free alkali content of at most 0.1 milliequivalent/g or a catalyst comprising a molded product which is formed by molding a synthetic faujasite zeolite and a clay in an aqueous solution or suspension having a pH of less than 9. According to the above process, it is possible to produce methyl methacrylate in high yield over a long period of time by the use of methyl .alpha.-hydroxyisobutyrate as the starting raw material.

Abstract: A process for preparing 3-methyltetrahydrofuran is herein disclosed which comprises reacting a methacrylic acid ester with carbon monoxide and a lower aliphatic alcohol to obtain a methylsuccinic acid diester, and hydrogenating and dehydrating/cyclizing this methylsuccinic acid diester. According to this process, 3-methyltetrahydrofuran can efficiently be obtained from inexpensive starting materials.

Abstract: There is disclosed a process for producing methyl methacrylate through gas-phase catalytic reaction of methyl .alpha.-hydroxyisobutyrate which comprises feeding methanol in an amount by weight of 0.1 to 3.0 times the methyl .alpha.-hydroxyisobutyrate in a reactor along therewith and proceeding with the reaction at a reaction temperature in the range of 230.degree. to 300.degree. C. by the use of a transition-type synthetic faujasite zeolite having a specific lattice constant and a specific Na content (Na/Al) as the catalyst. The process is capable of stably producing the objective product having excellent quality in high yield for a long period of time while preventing the problems of early deterioration of the catalyst and coloring of reaction product.

Abstract: A process for producing methacrylic acid which comprises: (I) producing acetonecyanohydrin from prussic acid and acetone; (II) hydrating the acetonecyanohydrin obtained in step (I) to form .alpha.-hydroxyisobutyric acid amide; (III) reacting the .alpha.-hydroxyisobutyric acid amide obtained in step (II) with methyl formate or with methanol and carbon monoxide to form methyl .alpha.-hydroxyisobutyrate and formamide; (IV) hydrolyzing the methyl .alpha.-hydroxyisobutyrate obtained in step (III) to form .alpha.-hydroxyisobutyric acid; (V) dehydrating the .alpha.-hydroxyisobutyric acid obtained in step (IV) to form methacrylic acid; and (VI) dehydrating the formamide separated from the products obtained in step (III) to form prussic acid and recycling the prussic acid to step (I) as a starting material. The process is capable of producing methacrylic acid from readily available starting materials with a high yield and selectivity, without forming undesirable by-product or waste materials, such as ammonium sulfate.

Abstract: A process for producing .alpha., .beta.-unsaturated carboxylic acid ester which comprises catalytically reacting .alpha.-hydroxycarboxylic acid ester with crystalline aluminosilicate catalyst, and then catalytic reacting the resulting reaction product with solid acid catalyst.According to the process, .alpha., .beta.-unsaturated carboxylic acid ester of a high purity, and a high quality, without by-product, can be produced efficiently.

Abstract: A process for producing an .alpha.-hydroxyisobutyric acid which comprises hydrolyzing .alpha.-hydroxyisobutyric acid ester in the presence of an organic sulfonic acid catalyst, using an .alpha.-hydroxyisobutyric acid ester as the starting material.According to said process, .alpha.-hydroxyisobutyric acid can be efficiently produced.

Abstract: An efficient process for recovering a catalyst used in the preparation of .alpha.-(4-isobutylphenyl)propionic acid, which comprises recovering part of a nickel catalyst component, such as nickel carbonyl, from a purge gas, concentrating a reaction product mixture, adding an organic solvent thereto to extract the reaction product, then separating and recovering the majority of the catalyst components from the extraction residue.

Abstract: A process for production of .alpha.-(4-isobutylphenyl)propionic acid is disclosed, comprising reacting .alpha.-(4-isobutylphenyl) ethyl alcohol with carbon monoxide in the presence of a three component catalyst comprising (1) a nickel compound, (2) a phosphine compound, and (3) an iodine compound or bromine compound. This reaction is preferably carried out in a solvent comprising aromatic ketones or alicyclic ketones.