Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company, Inc.

Atsushi Ohkoshi

Kazuo Tanaka

Hiroshi Ogawa

Hideaki Fujita

Masashi Yabuno

Kengi Nakaya

Disclosed is a process for producing .epsilon.-caprolactone which comprises distilling a reaction mixture obtained by oxidation of cyclohexanone to separate impurities, wherein .epsilon.-caprolactone separated in a rectifying column is contacted with an oxygen-containing gas and then distilled. Thereby, a high quality of .epsilon.-caprolactone of in which no coloration occurs during long time preservation can be produced by industrial advantages.

Process for producing .epsilon.-caprolactone

A process for the production of a trimellitic acid by oxidizing dialkyl aromatic aldehyde and/or its oxide derivative in a liquid phase, the oxidation being carried out in a lower aliphatic carboxylic acid solvent having a water content of 5 to 70% by weight in the presence of a catalyst containing a heavy metal and bromine or being carried out in a solvent containing a lower aliphatic carboxylic acid in the presence of a bromine-manganese catalyst system containing zirconium and/or cerium, and a process for the production of high-quality trimellitic acid anhydride from the trimellitic acid.

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Kurashiki, Japan

Atsushi Ohkoshi