Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation

Atsuhiro Adachi

Hiroki Emoto

Yuichi Fujita

A process for producing alcohols, which comprises subjecting a mixture comprising an aldehyde having from 2 to 5 carbon atoms and a polycondensate of the aldehyde at a weight ratio of from 95:5 to 5:95 to a mixing hydrogenation reaction in the presence of a catalyst to produce alcohols corresponding to the aldehydes at the same time wherein substantially no by-product is produced.

Process for producing alcohols

A process for producing alcohols, to obtain a straight-chain alcohol having a carbon number of n (where n&equals;3 to 6), a branched chain alcohol having a carbon number of n (where n&equals;3 to 6) and a branched chain alcohol having a carbon number of 2n (where n&equals;3 to 6) from a mixed aldehyde comprising a straight-chain aldehyde having a carbon number of n (where n&equals;3 to 6) and a branched chain aldehyde having a carbon number of n (where n&equals;3 to 6) in an optional proportion, which comprises supplying the mixed aldehyde to a distillation column, withdrawing from the bottom of the column an aldehyde rich in the straight-chain aldehyde, dimerizing the straight-chain aldehyde, followed by hydrogenation to obtain the branched chain alcohol having a carbon number of 2n, while obtaining, as a fraction from the top of the column, an aldehyde rich in the branched chain aldehyde and having a straight-chain aldehyde concentration in the fraction of at least 30 wt %, subjecting the fraction to hydrogenation, and purifying and separating the resulting straight-chain and branched chain mixed alcohol to obtain the straight-chain alcohol having a carbon number of n and the branched chain alcohol having a carbon number of n, respectively.

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Okayama, Japan

Atsuhiro Adachi