Labofina, S.a.

Chiron Corporation

Fina Research, S.a.

Jacques D Hanotier

Jacques F Dauby

Philippe Jean Camerman

Steven Rosenberg

Jean M Delcour

Jacques Crahay

Annie De Baetselier

Monique J Bridoux

Monique J Hanotier-Bridoux

Yeast cells whose DNA has been appropriately engineered to produce and to secrete lysozyme under control of a regulatable promoter are grown in the substantial absence of lysozyme synthesis and then are induced to produce and to secrete lysozyme under growth-limited conditions. This process is particularly suitable for the production of human lysozyme or mutants thereof.

Process for the production of human lysozyme

The invention relates to a process for releasing into aqueous medium polypeptides produced by yeasts and localized at least partially within the periplasmic space thereof without breaking the yeast cell. The process involves treating the yeasts in aqueous medium with a neutral water-soluble mineral salt and a non-ionic water-soluble polyethoxylated alkylphenol surfactant having an HLB of between 8 and 15.

Process for recovering polypeptides localized in the periplasmic space

The process for the catalytic oxidation of hydrocarbons and more particularly of petrolatum of similar raw material having a high content in microcrystalline waxes comprises introducing a molecular oxygen-containing gas into melted petrolatum in the presence of a usual oxidation catalyst and in the presence of water, which is used in an amount comprised between about 1% and 25%, based on the weight of petrolatum. The acid products resulting from this oxidation reaction and their calcium soaps are anti-rust compounds.

Process for the oxidation of hydrocarbons

Disclosed is a process for the purification of a crude terephthalic acid product contaminated with up to 10% by weight of partially oxidized impurities including p-toluic acid and 4-carboxybenzaldehyde, comprising the steps of dissolving the crude product in water by heating up to a temperature at least about 5.degree. C. higher than necessary for having the resulting solution saturated with terephthalic acid; cooling the resulting solution down to a temperature not lower than about 185.degree. C. to precipitate purified crystals; recovering the purified crystals by solid-liquid separation at a temperature not lower than that used for the precipitation of the purified crystals; and washing the recovered crystals by contacting with water at a temperature which is at least as high as the temperature of the recovery step.

Process for the purification of terephthalic acid

The reaction mixture obtained by oxidizing p-xylene in the presence of water as diluent, at a temperature comprised between 140.degree. and 220.degree. C., and consisting of terephthalic acid crystals in suspension in an aqueous solution comprising unreacted p-xylene, intermediate oxidation products thereof, the heavy-metal catalyst and water is introduced in the upper part of a sedimentation column wherein the acid is separated by gravity and is washed with a counter current of water introduced near the bottom of said column, the temperature of the washing zone being higher than the minimum value T.sub.w given by the equation T.sub.w =144+0.225 T.sub.R, wherein T.sub.R is the oxidation temperature.

Process for the production and the recovery of terephthalic acid

Disclosed is a process for the continuous production of terephthalic acid from p-xylene, comprising the steps of oxidizing p-xylene in a first oxidation zone in the presence of not more than about 10 weight % of water and a cobalt/manganese catalyst up to a conversion of about 15% terephthalic acid; oxidizing the partially-oxidized compounds in a second oxidation zone in the presence of an additional amount of water up to about 20 to 70% by weight and in the presence of an additional amount of the catalyst up to a conversion of about 50% by weight terephthalic acid; stripping p-xylene vapors from the second oxidation zone; separating crystals of crude terephthalic acid from the effluent from the second oxidation zone from the soluble components of the effluent; countercurrently washing the separated crystals with fresh water to produce a slurry; recycling a part of soluble components to the second oxidation zone, and another part of the first oxidation zone to provide the latter with heavy metal catalyst; and recovering purified terephthalic acid by recyrstallizing the crystals contained in the slurry.

Production of terephthalic acid

There is disclosed a process for preparing terephthalic acid by oxidizing p-xylene which comprises contacting a substantially liquid mixture of p-xylene with p-toluic acid and water wherein the molar ratio of p-toluic acid to p-xylene is between about 0.01 and about 100 and the molar ratio of water to p-toluic acid is between about 0.4 and about 60, with a molecular oxygen-containing gas in the presence of an oxidation catalyst.

Process for the preparation of terephthalic acid

Process for producing isophthalic acid by direct oxidation of m-toluic acid or a mixture of m-toluic acid with m-xylene and partially oxidized intermediates under mild conditions without the presence of consumable organic solvents or corrosive bromine promoters comprising forming a homogeneous, aqueous mixture of said substrate containing from 10 to 80 weight percent water and an active catalyst comprising a manganese compound or a mixture of a maganese compound and a cobalt compound, the minimum concentration (M) of catalyst in said mixture in millimoles per kilogram of mixture being given by the equation ##EQU1## wherein x is the mole fraction of maganese in the catalyst, y is the mole ratio of water to m-toluic acid and z is the ratio of dissolved isophthalic acid to m-toluic acid, the maximum concentration of catalyst being not more than about 40 millimoles catalyst per kilogram of mixture and reacting said substrate with a molecular oxygen-containing gas at a temperature from about 140.degree. to 220.degree. C. and a pressure sufficient to maintain water in the liquid phase.

Process for the production of isophtahalic acid

A process for preparing terephthalic acid is disclosed which comprises the steps of oxidizing a substantially homogenous liquid reaction mixture, comprising p-toluic acid, optionally in admixture with p-xylene and partially oxidized p-cylene derivatives, an amount of between 5% and 80% by weight of water, and an oxidation catalyst comprising a catalytically-active metal compound such as manganese compounds, cobalt compounds or mixtures thereof, with an oxygen-containing gas. At least a minimum amount of M millimoles of the catalytically-active metal compound per kg of the liquid reaction mixture is used, wherein M is defined by the following equation (1) ##EQU1## wherein y represents the molar ratio of water/p-toluic acid in the reaction mixture,

Process for preparing terephthalic acid

A process for the oxidation of aliphatic secondary alcohols having no tertiary hydrogen on a carbon atom in alpha position relative to the carbon atom linked to the hydroxyl group, with selective formation of ketones having the same number of carbon atoms, said process comprising contacting said alcohols with a cobalt salt having a trivalent cobalt to total cobalt ratio of between 0.5 and 1, the concentration of said cobalt salt being at least 0.05 mole per liter of reaction mixture, at a temperature between 20.degree. and 120.degree. C.

Process for the oxidation of secondary alcohols into ketones

A process for the oxidation, in the presence of a cobalt salt, of straight-chain paraffinic compounds of general formula ##STR1## wherein n is an integer from 1 to 16 inclusive, Y.sup.1 is hydrogen or a substituent selected from the group consisting of X, CN, COOR and OCOR, wherein X is a halogen and R a hydrocarbon radical containing from 1 to 6 carbon atoms inclusive and Y.sup.2 is selected from the group consisting of Y.sup.1, CHX.sub.2 and CX.sub.3, and wherein Y.sup.1 is hydrogen when Y.sup.2 is CX.sub.3 or is X when Y.sup.2 is selected from the group consisting of CX.sub.3 and CHX.sub.2, with the selective formation of monoketones, having the same number of carbon atoms as the starting compound and of the general formula: ##STR2## wherein n, Y.sup.1 and Y.sup.2 are as defined above, the process comprising contacting said paraffinic compounds with a cobalt salt having a trivalent cobalt to the total cobalt ratio between 0.5 and 1.0, based on metal cobalt, the concentration of said cobalt salt being at least 0.05 mole per liquid liter of reaction mixture, at a temperature between 20.degree. and 120.degree. C., and in the presence of molecular oxygen.

Process for the selective oxidation of paraffinic hydrocarbons

A process for recovering and separating substantially pure ethylphenol and substantially pure diethylbenzene from a mixture resulting from the decomposition of diethylbenzene monohydroperoxide and consisting essentially of diethylbenzene, ethylphenol and oxygenated by-products thereof, said process comprising distilling said mixture in a first distillation step operated under reduced pressure to separate a distillate comprising essentially diethylbenzene from a first residue comprising ethylphenol and the oxygenated by-products of said mixture, withdrawing said residue and distilling said first residue in a second distillation step operated under reduced pressure to separate a distillate consisting essentially of ethylphenol from a second residue containing from 30 to 40 mole % of ethylphenol in admixture with said oxygenated by-products, withdrawing said second residue and mixing it with the distillate from the first distillation step, treating the resulting mixture with an aqueous alkaline solution to form an aqueous extract and a raffinate, recovering ethylphenol from said extract and distilling said raffinate in a third distillation step to obtain a distillate consisting essentially of diethylbenzene and a residue consisting essentially of ethyl-acetophenone and 1-(ethylphenyl) ethanol, said extract is neutralized with a mineral acid to regenerate ethylphenol as a separate organic phase which is then mixed with the residue from said first distillation column, for purification in said second distillation column.

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Saint-Lambert, Belgium

Jacques D Hanotier