Abstract: The level of aldehyde and ketone impurities in tetrahydrofuran can be significantly reduced by bringing the tetrahydrofuran into contact with sodium borohydride and then separating the modified impurities and the tetrahydrofuran.

Abstract: Ethanol is produced continuously via the carbonylation of methanol, by(a) carbonylating methanol, in a reactor R, in the presence of a carbonyl complex of a metal of group VIII of the periodic table and of a halogen compound,(b) separating, in a distillation column D1, the reactor discharge, into a top fraction comprising methyl acetate, methanol, dimethyl ether and an organohalogen compound, and into a bottom fraction comprising water, small quantities of acetic acid and the catalyst, if the latter is not in a fixed bed, the residence time being so adjusted that the greater part of the acetic acid reacts with the methanol present to give methyl acetate,(c) separating the top fraction from D1, in a distillation column D2, into a top fraction comprising small quantities of methyl acetate, methanol, dimethyl ether and the organo-halogen compound, and a bottom fraction comprising methyl acetate and methanol, and recycling the top fraction to reactor R,(d) distilling off, via the top of distillation column D3, th

Abstract: Solvents which may be used as mediums for the polymerization of olefinic hydrocarbons to form polymers useful as membranes in a gas separation process require purification to remove any impurities which will effect the aforesaid polymerization. Purification of these solvents such as cyclohexane may be effected by treating the solvent with titanium tetrachloride, contacting the solution with an adsorbent such as silica gel and thereafter distilling the solvent in the presence of a purification agent such as an alkaline metal aluminum hydride or borohydride.

Abstract: Ferric iron is removed from chlorinated hydrocarbons having less than 6 carbon atoms per molecule by intimately contacting the latter with an oil that comprises one or more hydrocarbons having at least 6 concatenated aliphatic carbon atoms per molecule. The hydrocarbon oil is present in an amount sufficient to interact with a major portion of the ferric iron. The resulting mixture of the chlorinated hydrocarbon stream and the hydrocarbon oil is heated simultaneously with the intimate contacting, and a precipitate is allowed to form. The chlorinated hydrocarbon stream is then separated from the hydrocarbon oil and from the precipitate, and the precipitate is subsequently separated from the hydrocarbon oil, which may be recycled and re-used.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of ethanol by catalytic hydration of ethylene in which the crude ethanol is separated by distillation in a first column into a bottom stream consisting of aqueous ethanol and a top stream containing diethyl ether and acetaldehyde, the bottom stream is processed further in a second column, the top stream is hydrogenated and then fractionated in a third column together with an impurities containing stream originating from the second column, and optionally the diethyl ether containing top stream of the third column is recycled to the hydration reactor.

Abstract: This invention provides a process for obtaining m-methylstyrene from a mixture with p-methylstyrene that comprises hydrogenating a mixture of p-methylstyrene and m-methylstyrene in the presence of a zeolite having a Constraint Index of about 1 to about 12, a silica to alumina mole ratio of at least about 12, and a dried crystal density of not less than about 1.6 grams per cubic centimeter, modified with at least one element of Group IA, IIA, IVB, or VB of the Periodic Chart of the Elements and a metal of Group VIII of the Periodic Chart of the Elements; thereby obtaining a mixture of m-methylstyrene and p-ethyltoluene, and removing p-ethyltoluene by distillation.

Abstract: Color-stable alkylaminoalkanol is prepared by adding, prior to stripping-off excess reactant, an alkali metal borohydride to the reaction product of alkylene oxide and an excess of primary or secondary amine and thereafter distilling the reaction mass to recover residual and reacted (borates) alkali metal borohydride and reduced color-forming bodies as bottoms and alkylaminoalkanol as distillate. If water is present in the reaction between the alkylene oxide and primary or secondary amine, the reaction mass is distilled after recovery of excess amine to recover an azeotrope of the product which is recycled to the reactor.

Abstract: A process for the purification in the presence of water of impure benzaldehyde by which a purified benzaldehyde is prepared which has improved color stability and improved olfactory characteristics. The process is comprised of the steps of treating the impure benzaldehyde simultaneously with water and a metal less noble than hydrogen followed by distillation.

Abstract: Provided is a process for preparing tertiary butyl alcohol from isobutylene comprising reacting isobutylene or a hydrocarbon mixture containing isobutylene with an aqueous solution of an aliphatic carboxylic acid having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms in the presence of a solid, acidic ion-exchange resin as catalyst, to produce an aqueous reaction mixture of a major amount of tertiary butyl alcohol and a minor amount of the tertiary butyl ester of the carboxylic acid comprising the improved steps of:(1) subjecting said reaction mixture to distillation to remove unreacted isobutylene or hydrocarbon mixture therefrom;(2) supplying the treated reaction mixture of step (1) to a distillation column and passing water from the top to the bottom of said distillation column to remove said tertiary butyl ester of the carboxylic acid, wherein the amount of water used for removing the ester in step (2) is less than the sum of the amount of water used for converting said isobutylene into tertiary butyl alcohol and the amount of

Abstract: A process for purification of impure benzaldehyde by which purified benzaldehyde is prepared which has improved color stability and improved olfactory characteristics. The process is comprised of the steps of treatment with hydrogen in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst followed by distillation.The present invention is a new and novel process for the purification of benzaldehyde and, is in particular, a unique and novel process for the purification of benzaldehyde prepared by the oxidation of toluene with a gas containing molecular oxygen.

Abstract: This invention provides a process for separating 1,3-butadiene from a C.sub.4 -hydrocarbon mixture which contains C.sub.4 -alkyne components.In one embodiment, the invention involves a first step hydrogenation procedure for selectively hydrogenating the C.sub.4 -alkyne components, and a second step extractive distillation procedure for separating out a 1,3-butadiene rich selective solvent extract phase.

Abstract: Concentrated acetic acid of 95 to 100 weight percent concentration containing both ionic and coordinate bromine can be successfully purified to a bromine content of less than 3 ppm by the sequential steps of catalytic hydrogenation, contacting the resulting acetic acid with alkali metal hydroxide, carbonate or bicarbonate, and then distilling acetic acid from the alkali metal.

Abstract: A cyclohexylbenzene-cyclohexanone-phenol-containing mixture, for example as obtained by the cleavage of cyclohexylbenzene hydroperoxide, is separated by first catalytically hydrogenating selectively the phenol in the mixture, resulting in a mixture of cyclohexylbenzene, which is unchanged, and cyclohexanone; the thus obtained mixture is subjected to fractional distillation to obtain cyclohexylbenzene which can be returned as to a process for the production of cyclohexylbenzene hydroperoxide, and cyclohexanone.

Abstract: In the purification of impure titanium tetrachloride comprising adding an agent to said titanium tetrachloride and thereafter distilling off purified titanium tetrachloride while leaving the impurity in the distillation residue, the improvement which comprises employing as said agent at least one amine of the formula ##EQU1## in which R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 each independently is hydrogen, alkyl or alkenyl of up to 6 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl of 5 to 7 carbon atoms, or aryl, andR.sub.3 is cycloalkyl of 5 to 7 ring carbon atoms, or aryl, orR.sub.2 together with R.sub.3 is butylene, pentylene or hexylene, in which eventR.sub.1 is hydrogen, alkyl of up to 6 carbon atoms or aryl.The preferred agents are aniline, cyclohexylamine, N,N-dimethyl-aniline, diphenylamine, 2,3-dimethyl-aniline and 2,6-dimethyl-aniline. The process serves to remove vanadium impurities.

Abstract: A method of inhibiting the thermopolymerization of isoprene or butadiene in the process of isolation thereof by extractive distillation from a mixture of hydrocarbons obtained in dehydrogenation of isopentane and butane. The method of inhibiting includes, prior to the introduction of said mixture of hydrocarbons and a polar extractant into an extractive distillation metal apparatus, treating the surface of the apparatus with a 1-25% aqueous solution of passivators, viz. nitrites, sulphites or phosphates of alkali metals at a temperature of 20.degree.-100.degree.C. The mixture of hydrocarbons and the polar extractant with an inhibitor of isoprene or butadiene thermopolymerization introduced into the polar extractant are then fed into said apparatus in an amount of 0.01-1% of the extractant weight. The present method makes it possible to reduce markedly the formation of isoprene and butadiene and, hence, to prevent the plugging of the extractive distillation apparatuses with the aforementioned thermopolymers.