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:
Sep. 28, 1999
Filed:
Jul. 08, 1997
Peter B MacKenzie, Kingsport, TN (US);
Jeffrey S Kanel, Kingsport, TN (US);
Stephen N Falling, Kingsport, TN (US);
Alan Kent Wilson, Kingsport, TN (US);
Eastman Chemical Company, Kingsport, TN (US);
Abstract
This invention pertains, firstly, to the use of mixtures of hydriodic acid and organic solvent soluble iodide salts as catalysts for the hydration of .gamma.,.delta.-epoxyalkenes to form a mixture of the corresponding 2-alkene-1,4-diol and 3-alkene-1,2-diol isomers. Secondly, this invention describes the use of pH to control the 2-alkene-1,4-diol/3-alkene-1,2-diol product ratio, and achieve improved 2-alkene-1,4-diol selectivities by controlling the pH to near neutral values. Thirdly, this invention includes a catalyst recovery process whereby a liquid/liquid extraction is used to separate the product from the catalyst. In this extraction, .gamma.,.delta.-epoxyalkene, or a .gamma.,.delta.-epoxyalkene-containing organic solvent, is used to extract the catalysts from water, leaving the diol products in the aqueous phase, from which they may be subsequently recovered by distillation, extraction or by other means.