Hoechst Aktiengesellschaft

Hoeschst Aktiengesellschaft

Klaus Gunther

Heinz Erpenbach

Gunter Mau

Gerog Kohl

A process for continuously producing an anhydrous methyl acetate/methanol mixture by esterifying acetic acid and methanol in the presence of an acidic esterification catalyst is indicated, which comprises carrying out the esterification in a distillation column having n=20 to 50 distillation trays,

Process for continuously producing an anhydrous methyl acetate/methanol

The invention relates to acetals of the formula CH.sub.3 --CO--CH.dbd.C(OR).sub.2 where R is --(CH.sub.2).sub.n --OR' where n is 2 or 3 and R' is C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 -alkyl. In addition, the invention relates to a process for the preparation of acetals of the formula CH.sub.3 --CO--CH.dbd.C(OR).sub.2 where R is C.sub.1 -C.sub.12 -alkyl or R is --(CH.sub.2).sub.n --OR' where n is 2 or 3 and R' is C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 -alkyl. The process comprises reacting diketene with an alcohol of the formula ROH where R has the meaning indicated, in the presence of an acidic catalyst.

Acetals, and a process for the preparation thereof

The invention relates to a process for the preparation of acetylketene dialkyl acetals of the formula CH.sub.3 CO--CH.dbd.C(OR.sup.2).sub.2 in which R.sup.2 can be an alkyl radical with 1 to 12 carbon atoms, and also these compounds themselves, providing that R.sup.2 is an alkyl radical with 3 to 12 carbon atoms. In the preparation process an alkyl acetoacetate of the formula CH.sub.3 CO--CH.sub.2 COOR.sup.1 is reacted with a saturated primary or secondary alcohol R.sup.2 OH in the presence of an acid catalyst, in which R.sup.2 has the abovementioned meaning and in which R.sup.2 OH or is higher boiling than R.sup.1 OH.

Growing community of inventors

Eppstein/Taunus, Germany

Klaus Gunther