Abstract: Acetone produced as a by-product in the reaction of methyl acetate with carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the presence of a Group VIII noble metal catalyst and methyl iodide is recovered from the reaction mixture by supplying acetone to provide an acetone to methyl iodide molar ratio of at least 1:10 and distilling the mixture comprising methyl iodide, acetone and methyl acetate to separate substantially all of the methyl iodide and the supplied acetone and some of the methyl acetate from the remaining acetone and methyl acetate and thereafter separating the acetone from the methyl acetate.

Abstract: This invention relates to an improved process for the preparation of a mixture of various low molecular weight hydroxyaldehydes, hydroxyketones and polyhydric alcohols by the condensation of formaldehyde with itself. The essential feature of the improvement is that unpurified synthesis gases of the kind obtained from the large scale industrial production of formaldehyde can be used directly as the source of formaldehyde.