Celanese Gmbh

Hoechst Celanese Corporation

Celanese International Corporation

Charles C Hobbs, Jr

Edward F Dougherty

Diane E Allen

Charles E Tucker

Mark O Scates

H Robert Gerberich

Madan Singh

Leon B Levy

Ramakrishnan Chidambaram

William P McMillan

Jerome F Perez

Hendrik A Van't Hof

Michael L Junker

A process for inhibiting free-radical polymerization of an alpha,beta-unsaturated (&agr;,&bgr;-unsaturated) carboxylic acid, and for providing desired grade &agr;,&bgr;-unsaturated carboxylic acid for use following storage and transport is described herein. In particular, bulk storage and shipment such as with overseas transport is described. The process comprises combining the &agr;,&bgr;-unsaturated carboxylic acid with a phenolic inhibitor and a coinhibitor to form an inhibited mixture, storing the inhibited mixture, transporting the inhibited mixture, and removing the coinhibitor to provide the desired grade &agr;,&bgr;-unsaturated carboxylic acid for use. In preferred embodiments, the &agr;,&bgr;-unsaturated carboxylic acid is acrylic acid, the phenolic inhibitor is p-methoxyphenol, the coinhibitor is manganese cation, and removal of the coinhibitor is carried out using an ion exchange resin.

Stabilization and transport of &agr;, &bgr;-unsaturated carboxylic acid and removal of stabilizer

A process for preparing tertiary alkanols which comprises the step of oxidizing with ozone a saturated hydrocarbon having a tertiary carbon center in the presence of a carboxylic acid and for a sufficient period of time and at suitable temperature and pressure to form said alkanols.

Process for preparing alkanols

A process for preparing 6-chloro-2-hexanone which comprises the steps of (a) oxidizing methylcyclopentane with ozone in the presence of a carboxylic acid and for a sufficient period of time to form 1-methylcyclopentanol; (b) reacting said 1-methylcyclopentanol with a suitable amount of an alkali metal hypochlorite in the presence of a carboxylic acid to form 1-methylcyclopentyl hypochlorite; and (c) heating said 1-methylcyclopentyl hypochlorite for a sufficient period of time to form 6-chloro-2-hexanone.

Process for preparing 6-chloro-2-hexanone from 1-methylcyclopentane

In a process for oxidizing methanol to formaldehyde which comprises passing the methanol with molecular oxygen through two sequential silver-based catalysts, with the second of said catalysts being a bed of particulate silver such as, specifically, silver crystals, the process efficiency, and especially the efficiency of the reaction taking place in the second catalyst bed, is improved by controlling (a) the ratio of formaldehyde to methanol in the reactant gases entering the second catalyst bed and (b) the specific reaction rate in said second bed. The specific reaction rate is defined as the quantity of methanol converted in said second bed per unit time per unit of cross-sectional area of the bed.

Process for converting methanol to formaldehyde

An improved process for the liquid phase oxidation of methyl ethyl ketone to acetic acid wherein increased carbon efficiencies are achieved by including formic acid and/or at least one formic acid-producing compound such as methyl formate in the reaction mixture. In a particularly advantageous embodiment, a liquid reaction feed mixture consisting essentially of from above about 50 to 90 percent methyl ethyl ketone and from about 10 up to about 50 percent of formic acid and/or the formic acid-producing compound is oxidized to acetic acid using air, cobalt acetate catalyst, and acetic acid reaction medium.

Liquid phase oxidation of methyl ethyl ketone to form acetic acid

In the production of 1,6-hexanediol by oxidation of cyclohexane to produce an acidic oxidation product comprising adipic acid, followed by esterification of the acidic oxidation product and a subsequent hydrogenolysis of the ester, the improvement which comprises a prehydrogenation of the acidic oxidation product prior to esterification thereof.

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Corpus Christi, TX, United States of America

Charles C Hobbs, Jr