Ube Industries, Inc.

Uise Industries, Ltd.

Koichi Hirai

Yasuo Nakamura

Taizo Uda

Haruhiko Miyazaki

Harumi Ikezawa

Takanori Tsuchie

Yasunori Fukuda

Kiyotaka Yoshii

A process for preparing an .alpha.-keto acid ester (oxo acid) of the formula: ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 is a hydrogen atom, aliphatic alkyl group of 1-6 carbon atoms, phenyl group or benzyl group, and R.sup.2 is an aliphatic alkyl group of 1-6 carbon atoms, which comprises causing an .alpha.-hydroxycarboxylic acid ester of the formula: ##STR2## to react with molecular oxygen in a gaseous phase in the presence of copper phosphate, possibly, mounted on a solid carrier.

Preparation of .alpha.-keto acid ester

A glycolic acid ester is produced by hydrogenating an oxalic acid diester of the formula, (COOR).sub.2, wherein R is a C.sub.1-6 alkyl group, with hydrogen in the presence of a solid catalyst comprising, for example, copper and silver metals carried on a solid carrier, and in the additional presence of an aliphatic alcohol, and collecting the resultant glycolic acid ester from the reaction mixture by distillation, preferably in the presence of an ester of a C.sub.3-12 dicarboxylic acid.

Method of producing a glycolic acid ester

A hydrogenation catalyst composition useful for the hydrogenation of an oxalate diester, said composition being composed of a reduction product of a copper-containing silica gel formed by contacting an amine complex of copper with silica gel having an average particle diameter of not more than 200.mu. and a process for producing the aforesaid composition. Using a catalyst composed of the aforesaid composition, ethylene glycol and/or a glycolic acid ester can be produced from an oxalate diester efficiently with high conversions and selectivities and without causing pollution attributed to the use of a chromium-containing catalyst composition.

For producing ethylene glycol and/or a glycolic acid ester, catalyst

A hydrogenation catalyst composition composed of a reduction product of a copper-containing material formed by contacting an aqueous solution of an amine/copper complex with a carrier, characterized in that the carrier is a hydrolyzed product obtained by hydrolyzing a silicate ester in the presence of ammonia; a process for producing the aforesaid hydrogenation catalyst composition; and a process for producing ethylene glycol or a glycolate ester in the presence of the aforesaid hydrogenation catalyst.

Catalyst composition for producing ethylene glycol and process for

A hydrogenation catalyst composition useful for the hydrogenation of an oxalate diester, said composition being composed of a reduction product of copper-containing silica gel formed by contacting an ammine complex of copper with colloidal silica sol; and a process for producing the aforesaid composition. Using a catalyst composed of the aforesaid composition, ethylene glycol and/or a glycolic acid ester can be produced from an oxalate diester efficiently with high conversions and selectivities and without causing pollution attributed to the use of a chromium-containing catalyst composition.

Process for producing ethylene glycol and/or glycolic acid ester,

In a process for producing ethylene glycol and/or a glycollic acid ester by the vapor phase catalytic hydrogenation of an oxalic acid diester in the presence of a catalyst and hydrogen gas, the improvement wherein the catalyst has the following composition formula

Process for the production of ethylene glycol and/or glycollic acid

A hydrogenation catalyst composition for use in the hydrogenation of a lower alkyl ester of a lower hydroxycarboxylic acid. The composition is composed of a reduction product of copper-containing silica gel formed by contacting an ammine complex of copper with silica gel having an average particle diameter of not more than 200 microns or colloidal silica sol. A process for producing the catalyst composition is also provided. By using the aforesaid catalyst composition, a lower alkylene glycol can be produced efficiently in high conversions and selectivities without causing pollution attributed to the use of a chromium-containing catalyst composition.

Process for producing lower alkylene glycol, catalyst composition used

A hydrogenation catalyst composition useful for the hydrogenation of an oxalate diester, said composition being composed of a reduction product of copper-containing silica gel formed by contacting an amine complex of copper with colloidal silica sol; and a process for producing the aforesaid composition. Using a catalyst composed of the aforesaid composition, ethylene glycol and/or a glycolic acid ester can be produced from an oxalate diester efficiently with high conversions and selectivities and without causing pollution attributed to the use of a chromium-containing catalyst composition.

In a process for producing a glycollic acid ester by the vapor phase catalytic hydrogenation of an oxalic acid diester in the presence of a catalyst and hydrogen gas, the improvement wherein the oxalic acid diester in the vaporous state is contacted with hydrogen gas in the presence of a catalyst composed of Ag or Pd supported on a solid carrier at a temperature of from about 120.degree. C. to about 300.degree. C.

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Ube, Japan

Koichi Hirai