Union Carbide Corporation

Union Carbide Chemicals and Plastics Company, Inc.

Davy Mckee (London) Limited

Union Carbide Chemicals & Plastics Technology Corporation

John E Logsdon

David Robert Bryant

David James Miller

Richard W Voight

Ernesto Vera-Castaneda

Jay S Merriam

Richard A Loke

Andrew G Hiles

John Braithwaite

Ben W Kiff

Diane A Montevideo

This invention relates to a process for producing one or more organic acids in high purity which process comprises (i) oxidizing in a liquid oxidation reactor one or more organic liquids with essentially pure oxygen or oxygen-enriched air containing at least about 50% oxygen, at a temperature sufficiently stable to prevent cycling of reaction rate, to produce a crude reaction product fluid, and (ii) refining said crude reaction product fluid to give said one or more organic acids in high purity. The oxidation temperature is preferably controlled to within about &plusmn;3&deg; C. of a target temperature. The organic acids described herein is useful in a variety of applications, such as intermediates in the manufacture of chemical compounds, pharmaceutical manufacture and the like.

Preparation of organic acids

A process for the gas phase hydrogenation of unsaturated trisubstituted monoesters to the saturated trisubstituted alcohols using a Zn.sub.a Cu.sub.b X.sub.c Ni.sub.d O.sub.e reduced catalyst.

Process for the production of saturated neo-alcohols

An improved vapor phase catalytic hydrogenation of aldehydes to the corresponding alcohols wherein the improvement comprises employing a copper oxide-zinc oxide catalyst impregnated with a selectivity enhancer selected from the group consisting of an alkali-metal, transition metal and mixtures thereof.

Improved aldehyde hydrogenation process

An aldehyde hydrogenation catalyst consisting essentially of a mixture of copper and zinc oxide impregnated with a minor selectivity improving amount of a selectvity enhancer comprising the combination of an alkali metal selectivity enhancer selected from the group consisting of sodium, potassium, lithium, cesium, and mixtures thereof and a transition metal selectivity enhancer selected from the group consisting of nickel, cobalt, and mixtures thereof.

Aldehyde hydrogenation catalyst

A method of producing substantially pure dialkyl maleate by separating monoalkyl maleate from dialkyl maleate in a short residence time distillation zone while minimizing reversion of the monoalkyl maleate to alkanol and maleic anhydride and without having to neutralize the monoalkyl maleate.

Separation of monoalkyl maleate from dialkyl maleate

A continuous multi-stage hydrogenation process is described. This is effected in at least three catalytic stages connected in series. All stages up to and including the penultimate stage are operated adiabatically and in the vapor phase. Aldehyde (or other unsaturated organic compound) is fed to all stages up to and including the penultimate stage. The rate of supply of the aldehyde or other unsaturated organic compound to the penultimate stage is controlled in relation to the catalyst volume in the penultimate catalytic stage so that the degree of hydrogenation in that stage is less than 100%. The remaining chemically unsaturated material in the product mixture from the penultimate stage is hydrogenated, after cooling that product mixture, in the final catalytic stage to produce a substantially completely hydrogenated product mixture. In this way the dwell time of the reactants and product(s) at 'hot spot' temperatures is minimized, thus reducing byproduct formation.

Hydrogenation process

The continuous cobalt catalyzed liquid-phase oxidation of butane to acetic acid with oxygen has been improved by limiting the amount of iron, water and succinic acid present and maintaining a minimum of about 0.1% of cobalt acetate catalyst in the reaction medium.

Growing community of inventors

Houston, TX, United States of America

John E Logsdon