Eastman Chemical Company

Fastman Chemical Company

Jerry Lynn Miller

Scott Donald Barnicki

Jennifer Ellen McCusker-Orth

David Martin Hitch

Stephen Neal Falling

George Chester Zima

Daniel Latham Terrill

Joseph Franklin Knight

Thomas Hugh Williams

Timothy Richard Nolen

Continuous single-step processes for producing higher molecular weight ketones are disclosed that involve a liquid-phase crossed condensation of an aldehyde with a ketone in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst and a small amount of a catalyst comprising a concentrated hydroxide or alkoxide of an alkali-metal (from Group 1 or Group IA of the Periodic Table of the Elements) or alkali-earth metal (from Group 2, or Group IIA of the Periodic Table of the Elements), wherein the amount of water provided to the reaction mixture, or reaction zone, is relatively low, with respect to the total initial weight of the reaction mixture. The reaction may be carried out in the absence of solubilizing agents or phase transfer agents. The product mixture is largely free of by-products resulting from further condensation reactions of the desired ketone product or intermediates, and free of the self-condensation products of the reactant aldehyde, that are afterward difficult to remove from the reaction mixture.

Processes for the preparation of high molecular weight saturated ketones

Processes for producing &#x3b2;-hydroxy-ketones and &#x3b1;,&#x3b2;-unsaturated ketones are disclosed which comprise the crossed condensation of an aldehyde with a ketone in the presence of a hydroxide or alkoxide of alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal as catalyst. The products of the process, &#x3b2;-hydroxy-ketones and &#x3b1;,&#x3b2;-unsaturated ketones, are useful for the preparation of many commercially important products in the chemical process industries including solvents, drug intermediates, flavors and fragrances, other specialty chemical intermediates.

Processes for preparing &#x3b2;-hydroxy-ketones and &#x3b1;,&#x3b2;-unsaturated ketones

According to the invention, waste materials containing amido-carboxylic acid esters, which are generated during the preparation of phenyl ester salts, can be converted into amido-carboxylic acids. The recovered amido-carboxylic acid is then useful in the preparation of additional phenyl ester salt by the original preparation process or other processes known in the art. The process of the invention combines a waste material containing amido-carboxylic acid esters with an aqueous solution of a strong acid having a pH less than about 1 to form a mixture. The process heats the mixture to a temperature of at least 90&deg; C. and maintains the mixture at that temperature for a time sufficient to hydrolyze the amido-carboxylic acid esters to amido-carboxylic acids. Sufficient base is the added to adjust the pH of the mixture to greater than about 2. The mixture is then maintained at a temperature of at least 80&deg; C. for a time sufficient to allow phase separation of the aqueous and organic phases within the mixture. The organic phase and the aqueous phase are then separated and the amido-carboxylic acids recovered from the organic phase.

Process for recycling amido-carboxylic acid esters into amino-carboxylic acids

Disclosed is a process for the continuous production and recovery of 2,3-dihydrofuran (2,3-DHF) by the isomerization of 2,5-dihydrofuran (2,5-DHF) which contains certain impurities to 2,3-dihydrofuran in yields exceeding 95%. The process utilizes, in order, an isomerization zone containing one or more beds of a supported, palladium or platinum catalyst, a product recovery zone comprising a distillation column, a high boiler removal zone and means for feeding the 2,5-DHF component of the bottoms stream from the product recovery zone to the isomerization zone.

Continuous process for the conversion of 2,5-dihydrofuran to

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Kingsport, TN, United States of America

Jerry Lynn Miller