Davy Mckee (london) Limited

Davy Mckee (oil & Chemicals) Limited

John W Kippax

Norman Harris

Colin Rathmell

John Scarlett

Mohammad Sharif

Keith Turner

Arthur James Reason

Andrew G Hiles

Anthony B Carter

Michael W Bradley

John F Flintoff

A process is described for the production of a dialkyl maleate by reaction of maleic anhydride with an alkyl alcohol in a monoesterification zone to form the corresponding monoalkyl maleate, followed by reaction of resulting monoalkyl maleate with further alkyl alcohol to form the corresponding dialkyl maleate, which includes the steps of supplying a first liquid feed comprising said monoalkyl maleate to a secondary esterification zone containing a charge of a solid esterification catalyst, supplying a second feed stream comprising said alkyl alcohol to said secondary esterification zone, maintaining said secondary esterification zone at an elevated temperature sufficient to form or to maintain therein a vaporous stream containing said alkyl alcohol, intimately contacting said first liquid feed in said secondary esterification zone in the presence of said catalyst with said vaporous feed stream, recovering from said secondary esterification zone a vaporous effluent stream containing, in addition to alkyl alcohol vapor, also water in vapor form, said water being produced in said secondary esterification zone by esterification of said monoalkyl maleate with said alkyl alcohol, and recovering from said secondary esterification zone a liquid product stream containing said dialkyl maleate.

Process for the production of dialkyl maleates

Process for the production of butane-1,4-diol

A multi-stage hydrogenation process for hydrogenating a vaporous aldehyde to a corresponding alcohol utilizing a plurality of adiabatic catalytic stages is described. Hydrogenation is allowed to occur substantially completely and adiabatically in each stage. Further vaporous aldehyde or a mixture of hydrogen and vaporous aldehyde is added to the essentially aldehyde-free mixture exiting each catalytic stage prior to entry to the next stage.

Multistage aldehyde hydrogenation

A process is disclosed for producing a substantially sulphur-free, butene-1 rich stream from a butene-containing C.sub.4 hydrocarbon feed stream by passage through a desulphurization zone, e.g. successive beds of active alumina and zinc oxide, and then distilling it. The desulphurization zone adsorbs, absorbs or converts to higher boiling sulphurous compounds low boiling sulphurous impurities such as H.sub.2 S, COS and CH.sub.3 SH. A sulphur-free butene-1 rich stream is recovered overhead from the distillation zone, while a butene-2 rich stream containing higher boiling sulphurous impurities originally present or produced in the desulphurization zone is recovered as a bottom product. A dechlorination zone (containing, for example, a charge of copper impregnated active carbon) can be provided upstream or downstream from the desulphurization zone but upstream from the distillation zone or can be provided in the path of the butene-1 rich stream from the distillation zone. The butene-1 rich product is suitable for use as a hydroformylation feedstock.

Process for producing substantially sulphur-free butene-1

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Bedale, United Kingdom

John W Kippax