Eastman-kodak Company

Eastman Chemical Company

Bruce L Gustafson

Charles Edwan Sumner, Jr

Brent Alan Tennant

Dewey W Fuller, Jr

Paul S Wehner

Carl M Lentz

Yeong-Jen Kuo

Eric Jackson Fugate

Ernest W Arnold

Jennifer R Knight

Gether Irick, Jr

Scott Donald Barnicki

Robert Lin

Stephen Neal Falling

Zhufang Liu

Steven Thomas Perri

Dale E Van Sickle

Michael Bellas

Patricia N Mercer

Gary Wayne Hartley

Joseph S Bowers, Jr

Bobby L Bernard

Gregory O Nelson

Paul Randolph Worsham

Timothy W Price

Mark D Williams

Yeong J Kuo

David J Allen

James V Walden

Disclosed are catalysts comprising copper chromite, palladium and lanthanum having hydrogenation activity. The combination of copper chromite with palladium and lanthanum enhances catalyst activity more than the presence of either palladium alone or palladium in combination with alkali or alkaline earth metals. The catalysts are useful for the preparation of methanol from carbon monoxide and hydrogen and for the hydrogenation of carbonyl compounds such as, for example, aldehydes, ketones, and esters, to their corresponding alcohols. The catalysts may be used for the preparation of cyclohexanedimethanols from dialkyl cyclohexanedicarboxylates or of ethylene glycol from alkyl glycolates.

Palladium-copper chromite hydrogenation catalysts

Disclosed is a process of hydrogenating a polyester oligomer containing terephthalic acid residues wherein terephthalic acid residues are converted to residues of 1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid. Also disclosed is a process for the preparation of polyesters containing 1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid residues by first hydrogenating a polyester oligomer containing terephthalic acid residues and then reacting the resulting oligomer with one or more polyester-forming reactants to produce a higher molecular weight polyester.

Hydrogenation of polyester oligomers containing terephthalic acid residues

The present invention relates to an improved process for the hydrogenation of phthalic acids over a supported palladium catalyst. Phthalic acids are hydrogenated with improved selectivity in aqueous solution over palladium on carbon catalyst to give cyclohexanedicarboxylic acids (CHDA).

Hydrogenation of phthalic acids to cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid

Disclosed is an improved process for the preparation of alpha-tocopherol by the hydroxymethylation followed by the hydrogenation of non-.alpha.-tocopherols comprising .beta.-, .gamma.-, and .delta.-tocopherols using a particular palladium on alumina catalyst wherein (1) the dispersion and depth of deposition of the palladium metal are within certain ranges, and (2) the alumina is of a particular crystalline phase.

Preparation of .alpha.-tocopherol

Disclosed is a process for the manufacture of dialkyl cyclohexanedicarboxylates by the low pressure, catalytic hydrogenation of the corresponding dialkyl benzenedicarboxylate wherein the formation/accumulation of carbon monoxide is suppressed to maintain the activity of the precious metal catalyst.

Low pressure process for the manufacture of cyclohexanedicarboxylate

Provided is a facile three step process for preparing 2-phenylterephthalic acid starting with p-xylene, followed by alkylation, dehydrogenation, and oxidation of the methyl groups corresponding to the origional p-xylene. The product, 2-phenylterephthalic acid, is useful as an intermediate in the synthesis of polyesters comprised of residues of 2-phenylterephthalic acid.

Process for preparing phenylterephthalic acid

Provided is a process for preparing 2,5-diphenylterephthalic acid, which is useful in preparing certain polyesters, especially liquid-crystalline polyesters. In this process, p-xylene is di-alkylated with cyclohexene to provide 2,5-dicyclo-hexyl-p-xylene, which is in turn dehydrogenated to provide 2,5-diphenylxylene. 2,5-Diphenylxylene is then oxidized to provide 2,5-diphenylterephthalic acid by utilization of a cobaltous/manganous/bromide oxidation system.

Process for preparing 2,5-diphenylterephthalic acid by oxidation

Disclosed is a process for the preparation of a dimethyl cyclohexanedicarboxylate by the hydrogenation of the analogous dimethyl benzenedicarboxylate ester in the presence of a class of palladium on alumina catalysts which have a unique combination of characteristics. The use of the catalysts permits the process to be carried out at significantly lower process pressures.

Preparation of dimethyl cyclohexanedicarboxylates

Disclosed is a process for the preparation of a dimethyl cyclohexanedicarboxylate by the hydrogenation of the corresponding dimethyl benzenedicarboxylate ester in the presence of a class of a supported catalysts comprising palladium and a second Group VIII metal selected from nickel, platinum, ruthenium or a mixture thereof deposited on an alumina support which have a unique combination of characteristics. The use of the catalysts permits the process to be carried out at significantly lower process pressures.

Low pressure process for the hydrogenation of dimethyl

Disclosed is a novel process for the manufacture of 2,2,4,4 tetramethylcyclobutane 1,3 diol commencing with the pyrolysis of isobutyric anhydride to produce dimethylketene. Dimethylketene is absorbed into 2,2,4,4 tetramethylcyclobutane 1,3 dione which function as the process solvents for subsequent dimerization of the dimethylketene to 2,2,4,4-tetramethylcyclobutane-1,3 -dione followed by the catalytic hydrogenation of the dione to the diol product.

Process for the manufacture of 2,2,4,4-tetramethylcyclobutanediol

Disclosed is an improved process for the preparation of phenylhydroquinone wherein hydroquinone is first alkylated with cyclohexene to produce cyclohexylhydroquinone which is then dehydrogenated to obtain phenylhydroquinone. The improvement comprises carrying out both the alkylation and dehydrogenation reactions in the presence of a solvent comprising diphenyl ether, biphenyl or a mixture thereof. The solvent possesses selective solubility for hydroquinone and cyclohexylhydroquinone which permits the separation of unreacted hydroquinone from the alkylation reaction product. The boiling point of the solvent also permits the dehydrogenation reaction to be performed at substantially atmospheric pressure.

Process for the preparation of phenylhydroquinone

Disclosed are novel catalysts useful for the hydrogenation of carbonyl-containing compounds at mild conditions of temperature and pressure to produce alcohols or amines is disclosed. The catalysts comprise palladium and zinc on a catalyst support material and are obtained by the steps of:

Low pressure catalytic hydrogenation of carbonyl-containing compounds

Disclosed is a novel process for the manufacture of 2,2,4,4-tetramethylcyclobutanediol commencing with the pyrolysis of isobutyric anhydride to produce dimethylketene. Dimethylketene is absorbed into certain carboxylate ester solvents which function as the process solvents for subsequent dimerization of the dimethylketene to 2,2,4,4-tetramethylcyclobutanedione followed by the catalytic hydrogenation of the dione to the diol product.

Process for the manufacture of 2,2,4,4-tetramethycyclobutanediol

Method for the conversion of carbon dioxide to a carbon monoxide-rich synthesis gas mixture is disclosed. The invention method comprises contacting carbon dioxide with at least one hydrocarbon in the presence of a catalyst consisting essentially of a metal selected from platinum of palladium supported on an alumina or silica-alumina support which is stable under the reaction conditions. The invention reaction is typically carried out at a temperature in the range of about 650.degree. C. up to 1000.degree. C. at a gas hourly space velocity in the range of about 100 up to 50,000 volumes per hour.

Conversion of carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide

Disclosed is a process for the preparation of high-purity tetrahydrofuran from a mixture of 2,5-dihydrofuran and 3,4-epoxy-1-butene and/or crotonaldehyde wherein the mixture is hydrogenated in the presence of a nickel or platinum catalyst to obtain a product consisting essentially of tetrahydrofuran and 1-butanol which are readily separable.

Growing community of inventors

Kingsport, TN, United States of America

Bruce L Gustafson