Process for preparing 1, 6-hexanediol

Abstract

Disclosed are processes for preparing 1,6-hexanediol from levoglucosenone. In one embodiment, the process comprises contacting levoglucosenone with hydrogen in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst comprising palladium, platinum/tungsten, nickel/tungsten, rhodium/rhenium, or mixtures thereof at a first temperature between about 50° C. and 100° C. and at a first reaction pressure between about 50 psi and 2000 psi for a first reaction period, and at a second temperature between about 120° C. and 250° C. and at a second pressure between about 500 psi and 2000 psi for a second reaction period to form a product mixture comprising 1,6-hexanediol, wherein the first reaction period is the amount of time in which the levoglucosenone has a conversion of at least about 95%.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.