Basf Aktiengesellschaft

Thomas Ruehl

Jochem Henkelmann

Horst Zimmermann

Rolf Hartmuth Fischer

Franz Merger

Norbert Goetz

Thomas Kuekenhoehner

Hardo Siegel

Frank Rosowski

Gerhard Olbert

Torsten Mattke

Marc Heider

Wolfgang Spiegler

Hans-Juergen Weyer

Juergen Frank

Matthias Kummer

A reactor for testing catalyst systems which has a plurality of catalyst tubes () which are arranged parallel to one another in the interior space of the reactor and whose ends are welded into tube plates and also has caps () at each end of the reactor which each bound a cap space (), with a fluid reaction medium () being fed via one cap space () into the catalyst tubes (), flowing through the catalyst tubes () and being discharged via the other cap space (), and is also provided with a heat exchange medium circuit in which the heat exchange medium () is fed in at one end of the reactor, flows through the intermediate space between the catalyst tubes () and flows out at the other end of the reactor, wherein the catalyst tubes () are arranged in two or more catalyst tube regions () which are thermally separate from one another, is proposed.

Reactor for testing catalyst systems

2-Methyl-1,4-butanediol and 3-methyltetrahydrofuran are prepared by reacting a compound of the general formula I or II ##STR1## where R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are each hydrogen or C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 -alkyl and the formyl group of II may also be present as acetal with a C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 -alkanol, is reacted with hydrogen in the presence of copper or of a metal of groups 7 to 10 of the Periodical Table of elements or of a compound of these metals.

Preparation of 2-methyl-1,4-butanediol and 3-methyltetrahydrofuran

Preparation of vinyl carboxylates by the reaction of a carboxylic acid with acetylene in the presence of a platinum metal complex catalyst, which contains as ligands carbon monoxide or a nitrile (I), a tertiary nitrogen base (II), a tertiary phosphorus compound (III) having C-organic and/or O-organic radicals or mixtures of said compounds. The end products serve as monomers or comonomers for polymer dispersions.

Preparation of vinyl carboxylates

A process for the preparation of phthalides of the formula I ##STR1## where R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 independently of one another, are hydrogen, C.sub.1 - to C.sub.4 -alkyl or C.sub.1 - to C.sub.4 -alkoxy, by reacting phthalic anhydrides of the formula II ##STR2## where R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 are as defined as above, on hydrogenation catalysts at from 50.degree. to 400.degree. C. and at from 1 to 400 bar, wherein the hydrogenation catalysts employed are essentially free from Lewis acids.

Preparation of phthalides

A process for the preparation of 4-hydroxymethyltetrahydropyrans of the formula I ##STR1## where R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 are hydrogen, C.sub.1 - to C.sub.12 -alkyl, C.sub.3 - to C.sub.8 -cycloalkyl, aryl or C.sub.7 - to C.sub.20 -aralkyl, comprises reacting a tetrahydropyrancarboxylic ester of the formula II ##STR2## where R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 are as defined above, and R.sup.5 is hydrogen or C.sub.1 - to C.sub.12 -alkyl, at from 50.degree. to 400.degree. C. and at from 1 to 400 bar in the presence of hydrogen and a hydrogenation catalyst.

Preparation of 4-hydroxymethyltetrahydropyrans

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Frankenthal, Germany

Thomas Ruehl