Mitsui Petrochemical Industries, Ltd.

Hisaya Miki

Masatoshi Nitabaru

Masaaki Yasuda

Yutaka Haneda

Sadao Yoshimoto

Shintarou Araki

Terunori Fujita

Hiroshi Fukuhara

Mitsuki Yasuhara

Michio Tanaka

Nobuya Hirokane

Kenji Saeki

Masaharu Ishiguro

Toru Taguchi

Masato Kawamura

Kazutoyo Uno

Tokinori Agoo

Keiki Kishikawa

Hiroyoshi Tarumoto

Koji Kawai

A color-forming recording material containing:

Color-forming recording material

In a process for producing 2,6-dihydroxynaphthalene from 2,6-diisopropylnaphthalene, 2,6-diisopropylnaphthalene is oxidized in the presence of a specific proportion of a basic compound to hydroxylate or hydroperoxylate 2,6-diisopropylnaphthalene in a high conversion, and the resulting intermediate is then subjected to acid cleavage in the presence of hydrogen peroxide to produce 2,6-dihydroxynaphthalene in a high yield. The yield of 2,6-dihydroxynaphthalene increases by subjecting the reaction mixture containing the above intermediate to a purifying operation or dehydrating operation or adding acetone to it before it is submitted to the acid cleavage. 2,6-Dihydroxynaphthalene may be reacted with acetic anhydride to obtain 2,6-diacetoxynaphthalene.

Process for oxidizing 2,6-diisopropylnaphthalene

Process for producing dihydroxynaphthalenes

A method of oxidizing secondary alkyl substituted naphthalenes with molecular oxygen in a liquid phase to hydroperoxides, carbinols or mixtures of these, which comprises: oxidizing the secondary alkyl substituted naphthalenes in the presence of an aromatic hydrocarbon having a fused ring which contains at least one methylene group therein in amounts of not more than about 1000 ppm based on the secondary alkyl substituted napththalene used. A process of producing isopropylnaphthols is also disclosed, which comprises: oxidizing diisopropylnaphthalenes with molecular oxygen in a liquid phase to diisopropylnaphthalene monohydroperoxides in the presence of (a) either an aromatic hydrocarbon having a fused ring which contains at least one methylene group therein, or a paladium catalyst soluble in the reaction mixture, and (b) an organic polar compound such as acetonitrile; and then acid-decomposing the diisopropylnaphthalene monohydroperoxide to the isopropylnaphthol.

Method of oxidizing secondary alkyl substituted naphtalenes and a

Hydroxybenzenes can be produced in high yield through a one-step reaction by subjecting (a) an .alpha.,.alpha.-dialkyl-.alpha.-hydroxymethyl group containing benzene and/or (b) a benzene containing both .alpha.,.alpha.-dialkyl-.alpha.-hydroxymethyl and .alpha.,.alpha.-dialkyl-.alpha.-hydroperoxymethyl groups to reaction in the presence of a nitrile, an acid and hydrogen peroxide. In a preferred mode, the reaction system further contains (c) an .alpha.,.alpha.-dialkyl-.alpha.-hydroperoxymethyl group containing benzene.

Process for producing hydroxybenzenes

Disclosed in accordance with the present invention are processes for the preparation of hydroperoxides and/or carbinols by liquid phase oxidation of secondary alkyl-substituted naphthalenes with molecular oxygen, wherein the oxidation reaction is carried out by dissolving in the reaction mixture containing the secondary alkyl-substituted naphthalenes at least 0.5 ppm in terms of metal, based on the starting secondary alkyl-substituted naphthalenes, of at least one compound of metal selected from the group consisting of palladium and gold, said metal compound being soluble in the reaction mixture of the secondary alkyl-substituted naphthalenes. When compared with the prior art processes using catalysts of non-homogeneous system, therefore, not only the amount of catalyst used can be minimized but also the rate of oxidation can be enhanced, and hence there can be obtained in a short period of time hydroperoxides and/or carbinols in high yields which are the oxidation products in accordance with the present invention. According to the present invention, the desired hydroperoxide can be obtained in high yields as well as in high purity from the hydroperoxides and/or carbinols obtained in the manner as mentioned above.

Processes for preparing hydroxynaphthalenes

In a process for producing cumene and/or diisopropylbenzene which comprises, in combination,

Process for continuous production of cumene and/or diisopropylbenzene

In a process for recovering a purified ketone substantially free from aldehydes which comprises contacting a crude ketone containing small amounts of aldehydes with an alkali and then distilling the treated crude ketone, the improvement wherein said alkali is a solid alkali composition composed of an alkali metal compound selected from alkali metal oxides and hydroxides, an alkaline earth metal compound selected from alkaline earth metal oxides and hydroxides and silicon dioxide in which the mole ratio of the alkali metal to the alkaline earth metal is in the range of from 1:1 to 1:15, and the mole ratio of the alkali metal to silicon is in the range of from 1:0.25 to 1:5.

Process for purifying ketones

A process for purifying an aldehyde-containing ketone, which comprises catalytically hydrogenating a crude ketone containing minor amounts of aliphatic aldehydes at a temperature of from room temperature to about 100.degree. C. and a pressure of from atmospheric pressure to 10 kg/cm.sup.2 .multidot.G, in the presence of hydrogen, a palladium-containing catalyst, and about 0.4 to about 15% by weight, based on the weight of the crude ketone, of an active hydrogen-containing compound having a higher boiling point than the ketone which is selected from the group consisting of water, aliphatic alcohols containing 3 to 7 carbon atoms, aliphatic carboxylic acids containing 1 to 6 carbon atoms, alicyclic alcohols containing 5 to 8 carbon atoms and alkylamines having an alkyl or cycloalkyl group containing 5 to 9 carbon atoms; distilling the hydrogenated product; and recovering a fraction containing the ketone.

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Iwakuni, Japan

Hisaya Miki