Davy Process Technology Limited

Johnson Matthey Davy Technologies Limited

Robert Wild

Michael A Wood

Simon Nicholas Tilley

Simon Wayne Jackson

Michael William Marshall Tuck

Paul Willett

Stephen William Colley

Simon Peter Crabtree

Rikard Umberto Andersson

Adrian Francis Backes

Roger Bence

Robert Gallen

James Andrew Banister

Paul Appleton

Paul John Cassidy

Rickard Umberto Andersson

Michael William Tuck

Michael Anthony Wood

A process for the production of propylene glycol from a lactate ester is disclosed. The process comprises supplying a feed comprising a Calkyl lactate ester. The feed is contacted with a stream of hydrogen containing gas and subjected to hydrogenation in the vapour phase in the presence of a catalyst at a temperature of from about 130&#xb0; C. to about 185&#xb0; C., a pressure of from about 20 bar to about 60 bar, and a weight hourly space velocity greater than about 0.3 h. The catalyst is a reduced copper catalyst selected from copper alumina, optionally comprising manganese, copper chromite, copper zinc oxide and Raney copper.

Process for the production of propylene glycol from lactate ester

In a process for producing fatty acid esters, a fatty acid or fatty acid mixture is subjected to esterification with a lower alkanol in an esterification reactor maintained under esterification conditions to form a stream comprising the corresponding lower alkyl ester(s). An overhead stream comprising unreacted lower alkanol, water and a heavy organic content of one or more of lower alkyl ester and/or acids is recovered from the reactor. The overhead stream is subjected to distillation in a first distillation column to separate a portion of the lower alkanol from a stream comprising the water, the remaining lower alkanol and the heavy organic content. This stream is recovered and subjected to distillation in a second distillation column to provide an overhead stream comprising lower alkanol and at least a major portion of the heavy organic content and a water stream having a reduced heavy organic and alkanol content.

Process for the production of fatty acid esters

In a process for producing fatty alcohol, fatty acid is subjected to esterification with a lower alkanol to form a stream of lower alkyl fatty acid ester(s). The stream is vaporized and then subjected to hydrogenation. The stream is then subjected to transesterification in a wax ester reactor to convert at least a portion of the lower alkyl fatty acid ester(s) to lower alkanol and wax ester(s). The resulting stream is then separated to yield a fatty alcohol(s) steam, a wax ester(s) stream, and an overhead stream comprising fatty alkanol(s) and alkane. The overhead stream is reacted in a wax ester reactor to convert at least a portion of the lower alkyl fatty acid ester to lower alkanol and wax ester(s). The wax ester(s) formed from the alkane is separated, along with any water and/or lower alkanol present.

Process for the production of a fatty alcohol from a fatty acid

The present invention relates to a process for recovery of homogeneous metal hydride catalyst from a reactor stream as catalyst suitable for recycle to a reactor comprising the steps of: removing a stream from a reactor, said stream comprising the homogeneous metal hydride catalyst; contacting the stream with a solid acidic absorbent under process conditions which allow at least some of the metal to become bound to the absorbent; subjecting the metal bound to the absorbent, under process conditions which allow desorption of the metal, to a fluid stripping medium comprising hydrogen and solvent; and recovering the active metal hydride catalyst.

Process for recovering homogeneous metal hydride catalysts

In a process for the production of fatty alcohol(s) a fatty acid or fatty acid mixture is subjected to esterification with a lower alkanol to form a stream comprising the corresponding lower alkyl ester or esters. The stream is vaporized and subjected to hydrogenation to form a stream comprising fatty alcohol(s) and an amount of unconverted lower alkyl ester(s). This stream is subjected to transesterification in a wax ester reactor in the presence of a solid transesterification catalyst. Fatty alcohol(s) and wax ester(s) are then separated by distillation to yield a fatty alcohol(s) product and a stream comprising wax ester(s). The stream of wax ester(s) is passed to a second hydrogenation zone to effect hydrogenation in the liquid phase to revert the wax ester(s) to fatty alcohol(s), which are returned to the distillation separation step.

Process for producing fatty alcohols from fatty acids

A process for the removal of hydroxypropane from a crude product stream from the hydrogenation of glycerol, the crude product stream comprising 1,2-propanediol and hydroxypropanone as impurity, the process comprising: (a) where required condensing the crude product stream; and (b) contacting the crude product phase in the liquid phase with a stream of a hydrogen-containing gas in the presence of a heterogeneous catalyst at suitable temperatures and pressures such that hydroxypropanone present in the crude product stream is converted to the desired propanediol.

Process for the production of 1,2-propanediol

A process for the purification of a crude liquid feed stream comprising 1,4-butanediol and a minor amount of 2-(4-hydroxybutoxy)-tetrahydrofuran and/or precursors thereof wherein the process comprises passing the crude feed in the presence of hydrogen in a reaction zone over a heterogeneous liquid tolerant copper catalyst in the liquid phase at hydrogenation conditions and recovering a purified stream of 1,4-butanediol having a lower amount of 2-(4-hydroxybutoxy)-tetrahydrofuran than the crude liquid feed stream.

Process for the purification of 1,4-butanediol

A process for the co-production of a diol product (e.g. butane-1,4-diol) and a cyclic ether (e.g. tetrahydrofuran) by hydrogenation of an aliphatic diester or lactone feedstock (e.g. dimethyl or diethyl maleate), which contains a minor amount of acidic material, such as the corresponding monoester. The process utilizes a plurality of hydrogenation zones connected in series, each containing a charge of a granular ester hydrogenation catalyst. The catalyst in the first hydrogenation zone is tolerant of a minor amount of acidic material, while the catalyst in the second hydrogenation zone provides enhanced yields of cyclic ethers compared to the catalyst of the first hydrogenation zone. The catalyst in a third hydrogenation zone exhibits low selectivity towards conversion of the diester to at least one by product (e.g. 2-4'-hydroxybutoxy-tetrahydrofuran). The feedstock is supplied to the first hydrogenation zone as a vaporous stream comprising hydrogen and there is recovered a final product stream from the third hydrogenation zone which is substantially free of the hydrogenatable material and contains the diol, cyclic ether and other by products, the selectivity to the cyclic ether being greater in the final product stream than in the first intermediate product stream.

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Stockton-on-Tees, United Kingdom

Robert Wild