Basf Aktiengesellschaft

Helmut Lermer

Toni Dockner

Gerhard Nestler

Franz Merger

Wolfgang Hoelderich

Werner Steck

Matthias Schwarzmann

Tom Witzel

Harald Rust

Ulrich Rauh

Norbert Goetz

Wolfgang Harder

Hardo Siegel

Leopold Hupfer

Claus-Ulrich Priester

Holger Herbst

Hans Martan

Ulrich Koehler

Herbert Vogel

Herbert Exner

Gerhard Fritz

Hans Horler

Fritz Naeumann

Gerhard Koppenhoefer

Klaus Bittins

Gundo Brauch

Crude (meth)acrylic acid is purified by a process in which a primary amine compound and an organic sulfonic acid are added to the crude (meth)acrylic acid and the latter is then worked up by distillation.

Purification of crude (meth) acrylic acid

A diester of (meth)acrylic acid with a C.sub.4 -C.sub.6 -alkanediol is separated from a mixture which essentially consists of the C.sub.4 -C.sub.6 -alkanediol, the monoester of (meth)acrylic acid with the C.sub.4 -C.sub.6 -alkanediol and the diester of (meth)acrylic acid with the C.sub.4 -C.sub.6 -alkanediol by extraction with an organic solvent in the presence of water, by a process in which the diester-containing mixture is added continuously in the middle section of an extraction column and in addition water and the organic extracting agent are passed continuously countercurrent in the extraction column.

Separation of a diester of (meth)acrylic acid with a C.sub.4 -C.sub.6

1,4-butanediol mono(meth)acrylate is prepared by esterification of (meth)acrylic acid with 1,4-butanediol, by a process in which an aqueous solution of unconverted 1,4-butanediol is obtained, wherein the 1,4-butanediol present in the aqueous solution is converted into readily volatile tetrahydrofuran in the presence of a catalytic amount of a strong acid and the tetrahydrofuran is separated off from the aqueous solution.

Preparation of 1,4-butanediol mono(meth)acrylate by esterification of

A process for the separation of a mono(meth)acrylate of a C.sub.4 -C.sub.6 alkanediol from an aqueous solution containing a mono(meth)acrylate of a C.sub.4 -C.sub.6 alkanediol and the said C.sub.4 -C.sub.6 alkanediol, by extraction with an organic solvent, in which the extracting agent used is an organic solvent selected from the group comprising esters of C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkanecarboxylic acids and C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 alkanols, single and mixed dialkyl ethers having from 4 to 8 C atoms, and mixtures of such organic solvents.

Separation of a mono(meth)acrylate of a C.sub.4 -C.sub.6 alkanediol from

A process for the preparation of a 2-(3-aminopropyl)-cycloalkylamine of the general formula I ##STR1## in which the subscript n is an integer from 1 to 4, from a 2-(2-cyanoethyl)-cycloalkanone of the general formula II ##STR2## in which the subscript n has the meaning stated, wherein the following stages are carried out in discrete reaction chambers:

Preparation of 2-(3-aminopropyl)-cycloalkylamines

Cyclopentenones of the formula I ##STR1## where each of R.sup.1 to R.sup.4 is independently of the others hydrogen or an organic radical, are prepared by converting a carboxylic ester of the formula IIa, IIb or IIc

Preparation of cyclopentenones

A process for the preparation of mixtures of isomeric cresols with a molar ratio of para- to meta-cresol of from 0.6:1 to 10:1 by isomerization of cresol mixtures or ortho- and/or metal-cresol on zeolite catalysts of the pentasil type in the gas phase at from 300.degree. to 600.degree. C. under from 0.01 to 50 bar entails the mean particle size of the zeolite catalyst being at leat 3 .mu.m, and the selectivity in the established test for the disproportionation of ethylbenzene to diethylbenzene isomers being at least 60% for para-diethylbenzene.

Preparation of mixtures of isomeric cresols with a molar ratio of para-

A process for the separation of ortho-, meta- and para-tolunitrile from ternary mixtures of isomers entails removing ortho-tolunitrile from these mixtures by distillation under pressures of from 10.sup.2 and 10.sup.5 Pa and with a reflux ratio of from 1:1 to 200:1, and distilling the remaining binary mixture of meta- and para-tolunitrile to concentrate to more than 75 mol-% para-tolunitrile, and freezing out the paratolunitrile at below 26.degree. C., and a process for the preparation of suitable ternary mixtures of isomers entails isomerization of pure ortho-, meta- or para-tolunitrile or mixtures thereof at from 380.degree. to 580.degree. C. on zeolite catalysts.

Separation of ortho-, meta- and para-tolunitrile from ternary mixtures

Aldehydes and ketones are prepared from epoxides of the formula ##STR1## where R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are each alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkoxy or aralkyl and R.sup.3 has the same meanings or is hydrogen, by a catalytic rearrangement reaction in the presence of various catalysts, in particular zeolites of the pentasil type.

Preparation of aldehydes and/or ketones BU conversion of epoxides

Hydroxybenzaldehydes of the formula (I) are prepared from a benzaldehyde of the formula (II) or its acetal, in which R.sup.1 in the R.sup.1 O-phenyl ether group is an alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkylcycloalkyl or alkylaryl radical, R.sup.2 is H or OH or is identical to R.sup.1 and one or more R.sup.1 O-phenyl ether groups are ortho, meta or para to the aldehyde function, by a process in which a benzaldehyde of the formula (II) or its acetal, in which R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 have the abovementioned meanings and one or more R.sup.1 O-phenyl ether groups occupy the abovementioned position with respect to the aldehyde function, is converted into a hydroxybenzaldehyde of the formula (I) in the presence of water over a zeolite as a heterogeneous catalyst. ##STR1## The catalysts used are, in particular, zeolites of the pentasil type.

Preparation of hydroxybenzaldehydes

4-Oxaaldehydes of the formula ##STR1## are prepared by catalytic isomerization of 1,3-dioxanes by a process in which a 1,3-dioxane of the formula ##STR2## where R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 are identical or different and are each hydrogen, a straight-chain or branched alkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl radical of not more than 18 carbon atoms, a cycloalkyl or cycloalkenyl radical of 5 to 8 carbon atoms, an aryl, alkylaryl, aralkyl or alkenylaryl radical of 5 to 16 carbon atoms or a heterocyclic radical, and furthermore R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 and/or R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 together with the carbon atom to which they are bonded may form a cycloalkane, a cycloalkene or a heterocyclic structure, and the stated radicals may furthermore carry substituents which are inert under the reaction conditions, and R.sup.3 is hydrogen or straight-chain or branched alkyl, is isomerized using a phosphate as a catalyst.

Conversion of 1,3-dioxanes to 4-oxaaldehydes

Cyclopentanone is prepared from adipic esters by reacting adipic esters of the formula

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Helmut Lermer