Basf Aktiengesellschaft

Walter Mesch

Herbert Mueller

Herwig Hoffmann

Siegfried Winderl

Otto H Huchler

Arnold Wittwer

Klaus Broellos

1,2,4-Butanetriol is prepared by catalytic hydrogenation of malic esters over a copper-containing catalyst by passing the esters over the fixed-bed catalyst at from 130.degree. to 190.degree. C. under hydrogen partial pressures of from 100 to 300 bar while substantially avoiding the formation of a gas phase.

Preparation of 1,2,4-butanetriol

A process for the preparation of 4-methyl-imidazole by the reaction of hydroxypropanone and formamide, in which the reaction is carried out in the presence of at least twice the molar amount of ammonia, based on hydroxypropanone, in the liquid phase at temperatures of from 100.degree. to 200.degree. C. and pressures of from 10 to 250 bar.

Preparation of 4-methylimidazole

Di-tert.-butylethylenediamine is prepared by reacting tert.-butylamine with glyoxal to form di-tert.-butylglyoxaldiimine and water and subsequently hydrogenating the diimine by

Preparation of di-tert.-butylethylenediamine

Imidazoles are prepared by subjecting an .alpha.,.beta.-dicarbonyl compound to a Radziszewski reaction with an aldehyde and ammonia and then catalytically hydrogenating the product. Imidazole and its derivatives are useful intermediates for drugs, crop protection agents and dyes.

Preparation of imidazoles

Polytetramethylene ether glycols with molecular weights of from 300 to 4500 are produced by polymerizing tetrahydrofuran with an adduct of antimony pentachloride with carboxylic acids or carboxylic acid esters as the catalyst in the presence of a carboxylic acid anhydride, e.g., acetic anhydride, as the promoter. Esterified, e.g., acetylated, polytetramethylene ether glycols produced are subsequently converted to polytetramethylene ether glycols by saponification or transesterification. The process causes substantially less environmental pollution than do prior art methods, yet it is both economical and flexible.

Polymerization of tetrahydrofuran to prepare polytetramethylene ether

Process for the manufacture of succinic anhydride by eliminating water from succinic acid using a chemically inert hydrophilic solvent which does not form an azeotropic mixture with water, and fractional distillation.

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Ludwigshafen, Germany

Walter Mesch