Abstract:
A process for dehydrogenating hexahydrocoumarin or alkylated derivatives thereof is disclosed, wherein the selection of specific process conditions allows substantial amounts of coumarin or alkylated derivatives thereof to be produced along with dihydrocoumarin or alkylated derivatives thereof. The hexahydrocoumarin or derivatives are contacted with the catalyst at about the dehydrogenation temperature and then are dehydrogenated in the presence of a Group VIII metal dehydrogenation catalyst in the liquid phase at a temperature of 200*-375*C while removing hydrogen from the reaction zone, and the reaction product contains coumarin or alkylated derivatives thereof in a molar ratio of coumarin compounds:dihydrocoumarin compounds of at least 1:5. Coumarin and dihydrocoumarin, as well as alkylated derivatives thereof, are known compounds which are used in the fragance industry.