Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company, Inc.

Takeo Ikarashi

Kozo Sano

Mikio Yoneoka

Shigeru Horie

Tetsuo Aoyama

Yasuo Yamamoto

Kumiko Watabe

Hidetaka Kiga

Minoru Osugi

Tomiyoshi Furuta

Kenji Nakamura

Hideo Igarashi

Sadao Nozaki

Kazuo Takada

Kinichi Mizuno

Mikio Goto

Naoto Osaki

There are disclosed a process for producing methyl formate by dehydrogenating methanol in liquid phase in the presence of a solid catalyst and a process according thereto wherein a gas (N.sub.2, H.sub.2, CO, etc.) is continuously blown into the liquid phase from outside, and the gas along with the reaction product are continuously withdrawn outside the reaction system from the gaseous phase directly or through a cooler. By virtue of the liquid-phase reaction in the above process, as compared with the conventional gaseous phase reaction, the reaction temperature can be lowered, the reaction gas rich in the objective methyl formate rather than methanol is obtained by continuously withdrawing the resultant methyl formate outside the reaction system and accordingly, a single pass yield higher than that at the thermodynamical equilibrium-value is assured, whereby energy saving is made possible.

Process for producing methyl formate

A condensed liquid obtained after separation of gaseous components from the gas produced by the steam reforming reaction of methanol is brought into contact, in a gaseous phase, with catalyst (I) containing copper oxide (A), oxide of at least one type of metals selected from the group consisting of zinc, aluminium and chromium (B) and oxide of the group VIII metal in the periodic table (C), or catalyst (II) comprising the group VIII metal in the periodic table or compound thereof supported on carriers. The treatment of the condensed liquid yields water containing substantially no methanol, ethanol and high boiling point components. The treated condensed liquid causes no pollution problem when disposed as effluent and may be reused for the steam reforming reaction of methanol.

Steam reforming of methanol

Disclosed is a process for the preparation of a catalyst for the synthesis of methyl formate by dehydrogenating methanol in the gaseous phase, said process being characterized in that (A) at least one phosphate selected from the group consisting of copper phosphates, zinc phosphates and aluminum phosphates, and (B) at least one chloride selected from the group consisting of copper chlorides, zinc chloride, aluminum chloride, alkali metal chlorides and alkaline earth metal chlorides and/or (C) at least one compound selected from the group consisting of alkali metal compounds (exclusive of halides) and alkaline earth metal compounds (exclusive of halides) are added to copper oxide, zinc oxide and aluminum oxide. The catalyst obtained according to this process has a high activity for preparing methyl formate by dehydrogenating methanol in the gaseous phase, and this catalyst is excellent in the heat resistance and durability and has a high mechanical strength.

Process for preparation of catalysts

Carbon monoxide of high purity and methanol can be obtained from a mixture of methyl formate and methanol without eliminating methanol or isolating methyl formate from the mixture by selectively pyrolyzing methyl formate alone in the presence of an alkali metal compound other than alkali metal alcoholates.

Process for the production of carbon monoxide

A process for producing methyl formate which comprises dehydrogenating methanol in the vapor phase in the presence of a catalyst containing copper and a cement is disclosed.

Dimethyl formamide is produced in a considerably high yield by reaction of monomethylamine and triethylamine, or monomethylamine, trimethylamine and dimethylamine with carbon monoxide in the presence of metallic iron or an iron compound as a catalyst, while adding 2-20 moles of free water per gram-atom of iron of the catalyst to the reaction system.

Process for producing dimethyl formamide

Dimethyl formamide with a high purity is produced in a high yield and a high selectivity by reaction of a mixture of monomethylamine and/or monomethyl formamide and trimethylamine, or the mixture further containing dimethylamine with carbon monoxide in the presence of metallic iron or an iron compound as a catalyst and hydrogen gas at a volumic rate of H.sub.2 /CO of 0.05-3.

A process for preparing a methylphenol from an alkylbenzene which process comprises oxidizing by molecular oxygen an alkylbenzene having one secondary alkyl group and 1-3 methyl groups of the general formula I ##STR1## where R is a secondary alkyl group and n is an integer of 1-3, acid-decomposing the oxidation product solution in the presence of an acid catalyst, stopping the acid-decomposition reaction before its completion, hydrogenating the acid decomposition product solution in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst in the presence or absence of a solvent, and recovering the resulting methylphenol of the general formula II ##STR2## where n is an integer of 1-3 from the hydrogenation product solution.

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Niigata, Japan

Takeo Ikarashi