Ube Industries, Inc.

Tomoyuki Ito

Hirofumi Ii

Yoshiki Kawamura

Toshiyuki Matsushita

A method is provided for producing highly pure 1,6-hexanediol in which the contents of impurities such as 1,4-cyclohexanediol, 1,5-hexanediol, 1,2-cyclohexanediol, 1,7-pentanediol, 1,5-pentanediol and high boiling point components are significantly reduced. The process contains the steps of (1) treating an aqueous extraction concentrate of a reaction mixture obtained by oxidation of cyclohexane with a lower alcohol to esterify monocarboxylic acids and dicarboxylic acids contained in the extract, and simultaneously removing and separating by distillation water, excess lower alcohols and carboxylic acid esters; (2) converting oligomer esters contained in the bottom liquid to carboxylic acid esters by depolymerizing the oligomer esters at a high temperature and high pressure in the presence of a lower alcohol and a catalyst; and (3) hydrogenating the carboxylic acid esters distilled off in step (1) and the carboxylic acid esters obtained in step (2) either respectively or collectively to convert to 1,6-hexanediol.

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Ube, Japan

Tomoyuki Ito