Arco Chemical Technology, L.p.

Lyondell Chemical Technology, L.p.

Thomas S Zak

Rangasamy Pitchai

David W Leyshon

Stephen Herbert Harris

Te Chang

Tim T Wong

Kurt E Soring

A process for producing propylene and isoprene from a feed stream comprising 1-butene and isobutene is disclosed. The feed stream is reacted in a catalytic distillation reactor containing an olefin isomerization catalyst to produce an overhead stream comprising 2-butene and isobutene and a bottoms stream comprising 2-butene. The overhead stream is reacted in the presence of a metathesis catalyst to produce propylene and isoamylenes. Isoprene is produced by dehydrogenation of isoamylenes.

Propylene and isoprene production

This invention is a process for producing diisobutylene from isobutylene. The process comprises first forming dry sulfonic acid resin by contacting water wet sulfonic acid resin catalyst with a first reaction feed comprising isobutylene under conditions effective to produce tertiary butyl alcohol from the reaction of isobutylene and water, and then contacting the dry sulfonic acid resin with a second reaction feed comprising isobutylene under conditions effective to oligomerize isobutylene to produce diisobutylene.

Diisobutylene process

A process for hydrogenating aqueous mixtures of 4-hydroxybutanal and 3-hydroxy-2-methylpropanal is disclosed. The process uses a metallic Pt--Ru catalyst supported on .gamma.-alumina. The process gives improved yields of 2-methyl-1,3-propanediol while minimizing the formation of unwanted by-products such as isobutyl alcohol and tetrahydrofuran.

Process for hydrogenating aqueous aldehyde mixtures

A process is provided whereby phenol is separated from 1-phenyl ethanol, acetophenone or mixtures by extractive distillation with sulfolane as extractive distillation agent which decreases phenol volatility relative to 1-phenyl ethanol and acetophenone.

Phenol separation

Isobutane containing a significant amount of isobutylene is treated at conditions effective to oligomerize a predominance of the isobutylene, isobutane substantially free of isobutylene is separated from the oligomer products, and the isobutane substantially free of isobutylene is oxidized to tertiary butyl hydroperoxide.

Production of tertiary butyl hydroperoxide

A process for recovering a Group VIII metal from an organic solution is disclosed. The organic solution is contacted with an acidic ion exchange resin that has sulfonic acid active groups. The invention provides an effective and economical way to recover valuable transition metals from dilute organic solutions.

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West Chester, PA, United States of America

Thomas S Zak