Davy Mckee (london) Limited

Eastman Chemical Company

Davy Process Technology Limited

Colin Rathmell

John Scarlett

Norman Harris

Stephen William Colley

Keith Turner

John W Kippax

Michael A Wood

Michael William Marshall Tuck

Michael W Tuck

Mohammad Sharif

Arthur James Reason

Anthony B Carter

Christopher Richard Fawcett

Richard C Spratt

Ethanol is dehydrogenated in the presence of hydrogen over a dehydrogenation catalyst, for example, a copper on silica catalyst. The liquefiable products present in the resulting intermediate reaction product mixture are selectively hydrogenated over a suitable catalyst, such as 5% ruthenium on carbon, so as selectively to hydrogenate reactive carbonyl-containing by-products to the corresponding alcohols. Butan-2-one and n-butyraldehyde are thereby hydrogenated to 2-butanol and n-butanol respectively. A two stage distillation procedure is then used to purify the selectively hydrogenated product. A first distillate of ethyl acetate, ethanol and water produced in the first distillation zone is redistilled in the second distillation zone, thereby producing a bottom product comprising, typically, from about 99.8 mol % to about 99.95 mol % ethyl acetate and an overhead second distillate, which has a different composition from that produced in the first distillation zone and which is returned to the first distillation zone.

Process for the preparation of ethyl acetate

A process for the recovery of substantially pure alkyl alkanoate, such as ethyl acetate, from an impure feedstock. The impure feedstock is contacted with a selective hydrogenation catalyst in the presence of hydrogen in a selective hydrogenation zone maintained under selective hydrogenation conditions effective for selective hydrogenation of impurities containing reactive carbonyl groups thereby to hydrogenate the impurities to the corresponding alcohols. After recovery from the selective hydrogenation zone of a selectively hydrogenated reaction product mixture including the alkyl alkanoate and the corresponding alcohols, this is distilled in one or more distillation zones so as to produce substantially pure alkyl alkanoate therefrom which is recovered.

Process for purification of alkyl alkanoate

A continuous process is described for the production of 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol (CHDM) having a desired or predetermined trans-:cis- isomer ratio by catalytic hydrogenation of a dialkyl 1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylate in the presence of an ester hydrogenation catalyst. The process is capable of being operated for an extended period of time during which the hydrogenation catalyst declines in catalytic activity and comprises feeding a vaporous mixture of the dialkyl 1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylate and hydrogen to a hydrogenation zone containing the hydrogenation catalyst and recovering CHDM product. The degree of conversion of the dialkyl 1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylate at a particular combination of temperature and pressure is related to the trans-:cis- isomer ratio of the CHDM product and may be varied by adjusting at least one feed condition selected from (i) the dialkyl 1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylate feed rate and (ii) the hydrogen-containing gas:dialkyl 1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylate molar ratio. As catalyst activity declines during operation of the process over an extended period of time at a particular combination of temperature and pressure, the degree of conversion of the dialkyl 1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylate and/or the trans-:cis- isomer ratio of the CHDM product may be maintained at a constant value by adjusting at least one of the feed conditions referred to above. The determination of the Actual Activity and Reference Activity of the catalyst and the Actual and Effective Residence Times are included in the hydrogenation process.

Preparation of cyclohexanedimethanol with a particular ratio

A process is described for the production of cyclohexanedimethanol by hydrogenation of a dialkyl cyclohexanedicarboxylate which comprises:

Process for the production of cyclohexanedimethanol

A process is described for the production of a dialkyl maleate by reaction of maleic anhydride with an alkyl alcohol in a monoesterification zone to form the corresponding monoalkyl maleate, followed by reaction of resulting monoalkyl maleate with further alkyl alcohol to form the corresponding dialkyl maleate, which includes the steps of supplying a first liquid feed comprising said monoalkyl maleate to a secondary esterification zone containing a charge of a solid esterification catalyst, supplying a second feed stream comprising said alkyl alcohol to said secondary esterification zone, maintaining said secondary esterification zone at an elevated temperature sufficient to form or to maintain therein a vaporous stream containing said alkyl alcohol, intimately contacting said first liquid feed in said secondary esterification zone in the presence of said catalyst with said vaporous feed stream, recovering from said secondary esterification zone a vaporous effluent stream containing, in addition to alkyl alcohol vapor, also water in vapor form, said water being produced in said secondary esterification zone by esterification of said monoalkyl maleate with said alkyl alcohol, and recovering from said secondary esterification zone a liquid product stream containing said dialkyl maleate.

Process for the production of dialkyl maleates

A continuous process is described for the production of a substantially acid free dialkyl maleate, for example diethyl maleate, from a feed stream containing a major amount of dialkyl maleate and a minor amount of the corresponding monoalkyl maleate. This comprises continuously distilling the feed stream in a primary distillation zone, which can comprise a single distillation column or a series of distillation columns connected in series, so as to give (i) a bottom fraction containing monoalkyl maleate and dialkyl maleate in admixture, (ii) a vaporous fraction comprising alkanol, and (iii) an intermediate fraction that is substantially free from alkanol and comprises a major proportion of diethyl maleate and a minor proportion of maleic anhydride. The intermediate fraction (iii) is redistilled in a secondary distillation zone to yield (i) an overhead fraction containing maleic anhydride and (ii) a bottom fraction containing substantially acid free dialkyl maleate. The vaporous stream can be condensed to recover alkanol for recycle to a dialkyl maleate production facility.

Process for the production of a dialkyl maleate

Process for the production of butane-1,4-diol

Growing community of inventors

Yarm, United Kingdom

Colin Rathmell