Abstract:
The present invention provides a process for preparing tetrahydrofuran by absorption of C 4 dicarboxylic acids and/or derivatives thereof from a crude-product mixture into an organic solvent or water as absorbent, separation of the absorbent, catalytic hydrogenation of the resulting C 4 dicarboxylic acids and/or derivatives thereof, and distillation of the crude, water-containing tetrahydrofuran in at least one distillation column, wherein THF-containing waste streams from the distillation are subjected to catalytic hydrogenation with complete or partial recycling into the process.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to a process for preparing 3-alkoxy-propan-1-ols of the general formula (I) by catalytic hydrogenation of esters of the general formula (II), where the radicals R1 and R2 and R3, R4 and R5 can be, independently of one another, straight chain or branched, C1-C20-alkyl radicals which may be substituted by one or more C1-C20-alkoxy groups or interrupted by one or more oxygen atoms in the chain, C6-C20-aryl, C7-C20-arylalkyl which may be substituted by one or more C1-C20-alkoxy groups or interrupted by one or more oxygen atoms in the alkyl chain, C7-C20-alkylaryl which may be substituted by one or more C1-C20-alkoxy groups or interrupted by one or more oxygen atoms in the alkyl chain, C7-C20-cycloalkyl radicals which may be substituted by one or more C1-C20-alkoxy groups and R2, R3 and R4 can, independently of one another, also be hydrogen, over chromium and nickel-free catalysts.
Abstract:
The subject matter of the present invention relates to a method for preventing fumaric acid deposits during the production of maleic acid anhydride consisting of the following steps: a) absorption of a C4-dicarbonic acid or a derivative thereof from a raw product mixture into an organic solvent or water as an absorbent, (b) separation of the C4-dicarbonic acid or a derivative thereof from said absorbent, wherein the absorbent thus recovered is either completely or partially hydrogenated catalytically and is returned to absorption stage (a) either completely or partially.
Abstract:
In a process for purifying carboxylic esters such as ethyl formate, a carboxylic ester to be purified is distilled in the presence of an extractant, preferably by (a) allowing vapour of the carboxylic ester to be purified to ascend in a distillation column; (b) conveying the extractant in countercurrent to the vapour in an extractive distillation zone; (c) taking off pure carboxylic ester above the extractive distillation zone. The extractant is selected, for example, from among diols, polyols, open-chain or cyclic amides.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a reactor (1) in the form of a cylinder with a vertical longitudinal axis, for performing an autothermal gas-phase dehydrogenation of a hydrocarbon-containing gas stream (2) with an oxygen-containing gas stream (3), obtaining a reaction gas mixture, on a heterogeneous catalyst, which is designed as monolith (4), wherein one or more catalytically active zones (5) are arranged in the interior of the reactor (1), each zone comprising a packing of monoliths (4) stacked one next to another and/or one on top of another and wherein a mixing zone (6) with fixed installations is provided upstream of each catalytically active zone (5). The reactor has: - one or more feeder lines (7) at the lower end thereof for the hydrocarbon-containing gas stream (2) to be dehydrogenated; - one or more feeder lines (9) that can be regulated independently of one another for the oxygen-containing gas stream (3) flowing into each of the mixing zones (6), each feeder line (9) feeding one or more distributors (10); - and one or more discharge lines (11) at the upper end of the reactor (1) for the reaction gas mixture from the autothermal gas-phase dehydrogenation, wherein the interior wall of the reactor (1) is furnished with a continuous insulation layer (13, 14, 15) and wherein the accessibility of one or each of the plurality of catalytically active zones (5) from outside the reactor is guaranteed via - one or more manholes (12), or wherein one or each of the plurality of catalytically active zones (5), each comprising a respective packing of monoliths stacked one next to another and/or one on top of an other including - the mixing zone (6) with fixed installations provided upstream of each catalytically active zone (5) - the one or more feeder lines (9) controllable independently of one another - and the one or more distributors (10) that are each fed via a respective feeder line (9), are constructed as a structural element (24) that can be individually installed or uninstalled.
Abstract:
In a process for preparing carboxylic esters by transesterification, a first feed stream comprising a first carboxylic ester, e.g. methyl formate, is introduced at the side into a reaction column at a first inlet located between the top and the bottom of the reaction column and a second feed stream comprising a first alcohol, e.g. ethanol, is introduced at the side into the reaction column at a second inlet located above the first inlet and the feed streams are reacted in a reaction zone of the reaction column to form a second carboxylic ester and a second alcohol. The first alcohol has a higher molecular weight than the second alcohol. A product fraction comprising the second carboxylic ester and unreacted first carboxylic ester is taken off at an offtake located above the second inlet. A bottom fraction comprising the second alcohol and unreacted first alcohol is taken off at the bottom of the reaction column. The product fraction is separated by distillation at a pressure which is different from the pressure in the reaction column into second carboxylic ester and a fraction containing unreacted first carboxylic ester and the fraction containing unreacted first carboxylic ester is at least partly recirculated to the reaction zone.