Abstract: An aromatic carbonate ester is continuously and efficiently prepared by the transesterification of an aromatic carboxylate with an aliphatic carbonate ester and/or aromatic.aliphatic carbonate ester. A raw material including an aromatic carboxylate, aliphatic carbonate ester and/or aromatic.aliphatic carbonate ester, and a catalyst are continuously fed to a first stage of a reactive distillation column (1) through a raw material feeding pipe (5). Meanwhile, an aliphatic carbonate ester (a) whose boiling point is lower than that of a reactant liquid that is present in a second stage lower than the first stage is continuously fed to the second stage through an aliphatic carbonate ester (a) feeding pipe (6). The second stage is preferably a column bottom section of the reactive distillation column (1). The amount of aliphatic carbonate ester (a) fed is preferably 0.001 to 5 times, by weight, more than the amount of the raw material fed.

Abstract: There is provided a process for producing a (poly)alkylene glycol monoalkyl ether from an olefin and a (poly)alkylene glycol at a high conversion at a high selectivity. This process comprises reacting an olefin with a (poly)alkylene glycol in the presence of a crystalline metallosilicate as a catalyst.

Abstract: An oil-absorbent composition including 30 to 99.5 parts by weight of (I) an oil-absorbent, cross-linked polymer formed from 96-99.999% by weight of (A) monomer having a polymerizable unsaturated group in the molecule, said monomer (A) containing mainly a monomer having a solubility parameter of not more than 9, and 4-0.001% by weight of (B) a cross-linking monomer having at least two polymerizable unsaturated groups in the molecule, provided the sum of monomer (A) and cross-linking monomer (B) is 100%, and 70 to 0.5 to parts by weight of (IV) at least one compound selected from the group consisting of (II) inorganic compounds having a methanol value of not less than 25% and (III) substantially water insoluble organic acid salts, provided the sum of oil-absorbent, cross-linked polymer (I) and compound (IV) is 100 parts by weight.

Abstract: A catalyst for producing an aryl ester of a carbonic or carboxylic acid is disclosed, which includes a microporous material containing a metal element belonging to group IV. This catalyst can be used as a heterogeneous catalyst to produce the aryl ester in high yield with industrial advantages. In order to produce the aryl ester using the catalyst, a carbonate or an aliphatic carboxylate is transesterified with an aromatic hydroxy compound, or an aryl carboxylate is transesterified with a carbonate, or an alkyl aryl carbonate is disproportionated by transesterification.

Abstract: A catalyst for producing an aryl ester, which includes a microporous material containing a metal element belonging to group IV, is described. This catalyst is insoluble and can be used as a heterogeneous catalyst, to produce an aryl ester in high yield with industrial advantages. In order to produce an aryl ester using the catalyst, a carbonate or an aliphatic carboxylate is transesterified with an aromatic hydroxy compound, or an aryl carboxylate is transesterified with a carbonate, or an alkyl aryl carbonate is disproportionated by transesterification.

Abstract: Carboxylate (1) of the formula R.sup.1 COOR.sup.2 (where each of R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 independently represents an alkyl group, an alicyclic hydrocarbon group or an aryl alkyl group), an aromatic hydroxy compound of the formula R.sup.3 OH (where R.sup.3 represents an aromatic group with or without a substituent), and a catalyst are supplied to a batch reactor 1, and a transesterification between the carboxylate (1) and the aromatic hydroxy compound is performed to produce carboxylate (3) of the formula R.sup.1 COOR.sup.3 (where R.sup.1 and R.sup.3 are as defined above). After distilling off the by-produced alcohol and unreacted compounds using a distillation column 2, carbonate ester (4) of the formula R.sup.4 O--COOR.sup.5 (where each of R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 independently represents an alkyl group, an alicyclic hydrocarbon group or an aryl alkyl group) is supplied to the batch reactor 1.

Abstract: A industrially advantageous process for preparing dialkyl carbonates is provided. The process is characterized in that an alkylene carbonate and an alcohol are subjected to an transesterification in the presence of a catalyst which contains, as the catalytically active component, at least one rare-earth oxide. According to this process, the transesterification progresses rapidly due to the excellent activity of the catalyst, and the catalyst can be readily separated after termination of the reaction, allowing high efficiency isolation and purification of dialkyl carbonate.