The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 03, 1999
Filed:
May. 18, 1998
Manfred Breuninger, Bad Sackingen, DE;
Roche Vitamins Inc., Parsippany, NJ (US);
Abstract
A process for the conversion of non-.alpha.-tocopherols into (.alpha.-tocopherol by the catalytic permethylation is disclosed. The methylating agent is methanol in the near-critical or super-critical pressure and temperature region or a mixture which is equivalent to methanol and which in particular consists of hydrogen and carbon monoxide and/or carbon dioxide. The catalyst is a mixed oxide catalyst which is produced from hydrotalcites and which has at least copper and magnesium oxide as well as at least one oxide of a trivalent metal, e.g., aluminium oxide, iron(III) oxide, vanadium oxide, chromium oxide and/or gallium oxide. The product of this process has a very high content of .alpha.-tocopherol, which is the biologically most valuable tocopherol.