Basf Aktiengesellschaft

Michael W M Tuck

Andrew George Hiles

Michael A Wood

Graham Reed

Philip H D Eastland

Butane-1,4-diol, gamma-butyrolactone or tetrahydrofuran are prepared by vapor phase hydrogenation of a C4-dicarboxylic acid derivative. A maleic anhydride containing vapor stream is contacted in an absorption zone with a first high boiling solvent. A waste gas stream is passed to a scrubbing zone containing a second, higher boiling solvent. The waste gas is purged and the first and second solvents are recovered and recycled. Maleic anhydride is obtained from the absorption zone and converted to a maleic acid diester, which is stripped from the first solvent with hydrogen. The desired products are obtained by hydrogenation.

Process for the preparation of butanediol, butyrolactone and tetrahydrofuran

A process is described for the production of butane-1,4-diol, &ggr;-butyrolactone and/or tetrahydrofuran. A vaporous stream containing maleic anhydride, water, and carbon oxides is contact in an absorption zone with a high boiling ester as solvent to form a solution of maleic anhydride in the high boiling ester which has a boiling point at the atmospheric pressure at least about 30&deg; C. higher than that of maleic anhydride and is selected from di-(C,to C,alkyl) esters of alkyl dicarboxylic acids containing up to 3 carbon atoms, mono- and di-(C,to C,alkyl) esters of maleic acid, fumaric acid, succinic acid, and mixtures thereof, (C,to C,alkyl) esters of naphthalene-monocarboxylic acids, tri-(C,to C,alkyl) esters of aromatic tricarboxylic acids, and di-(C,to C,alkyl) esters of isophthalic acid. The maleic anhydride in the solution is stripped with a gaseous stream containing hydrogen thereby forming a vaporous stream comprising hydrogen and maleic anhydride, which is contacted in a hydrogenation zone with a heterogeneous hydrogenation catalyst to convert maleic anhydride to at least one C,compound selected from butane-1,4-diol, &ggr;-butyrolactone and tetrahydrofuran.

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London, United Kingdom

Michael W M Tuck