Dsm IP Assets B.v.

Barthel Engendahl

Rudy Francois Maria Jozef Parton

Johannes Gerardus De Vries

Roel Wim Wiertz

Michele Catherine Christianne Janssen

Jan Van Der Spoel

De Johannes Gerardus Vries

The invention relates to a continuous or repetitive batch process for the hydrogenation of levulinic acid (LA) or esters thereof to at least gamma valerolactone (GVL) in a reactor comprising a feed stream and an outlet stream, in the presence of a solid Ru catalyst, said process comprising (a) pretreating said solid Ru catalyst with a reductant; and (b) reacting levulinic acid with hydrogen and the pretreated solid Ru catalyst obtained in step (a) at a temperature and residence time suitable to form at least GVL, characterized in that the pretreatment is in the presence of a first solvent which comprises water. This process is stable and little or no Ru will leak form the support.

Continuous hydrogenation of levulinic acid

The invention relates to a process for the production of 5-formylvaleric acid and adipic acid or esters thereof from an isomeric mixture of pentenoic acid or esters thereof said mixture comprising at least 4-pentenoic acid or esters thereof, and further comprising 3-pentenoic acid and/or 2-pentenoic acid or esters thereof. The process allows for efficient production of two different intermediates for producing polyamide using a single process, with good selectivity, little waste, in an economically efficient fashion. The process is very suitable to use an isomeric pentenoic acid mixture obtained from valerolactone, and can be used to produce renewable polyamide intermediates using a single process.

Process for the preparation of formylvaleric acid and adipic acid

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Echt, Netherlands

Barthel Engendahl