# US 2014/0194648 A1 · Process for producing 2-ethylheptanoic acid

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- Number: US 2014/0194648 A1
- Document ID: US20140194648A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/122,041
- Filed: 2012-05-15
- Published: 2014-07-10
- Earliest claimed: 2011-06-21
- Assignees: Evonik Degussa GmbH
- Inventors: Christian Boeing; Dietrich Maschmeyer; Markus Winterberg; Michael Grass; Andreas Gevers; Hinnerk Gordon Becker
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140194648A1

## CPC

- C07C 51/09: from carboxylic acid esters or lactones
- B01J 23/42: Platinum
- B01J 23/44: Palladium
- B01J 23/755: Nickel
- B01J 35/615: {100-500 m2/g}
- C07C 67/08: by reacting carboxylic acids or symmetrical anhydrides with the hydroxy or O-metal group of organic compounds
- C08K 5/10: Esters; Ether-esters
- B01J 21/04: Alumina
- C08K 5/0016: {Plasticisers}
- C07C: ACYCLIC OR CARBOCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
- B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
- C08K: Use of inorganic or non-macromolecular organic substances as compounding ingredients (paints, inks, varnishes, dyes, polishes, adhesives C09)

## Abstract

Process for producing 2-ethylheptanoic acid.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process for producing 2-ethylheptanoic acid, the process comprising:
(i) reacting 3,6-diethyltetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-one of formula (I) with hydrogen to obtain 2-ethylheptanoic acid of formula (II) in the presence of a heterogeneous catalyst,
wherein the heterogeneous catalyst is a bifunctional catalyst or a catalyst mixture of at least two catalyst components,
the bifunctional catalyst or one catalyst component of the catalyst mixture has an acidically acting component, and
the acidically acting component comprises a solid oxidic acid which has an alkylation index below 100.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1, further comprising: before said reacting (i),
(ii) reacting 2-ethylidene-6-hepten-5-olide of formula (III) with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst to obtain 3,6-diethyltetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-one:

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The process according to claim 2, further comprising: before said reacting (ii),
(iii) reacting a compound of formula (IV) with carbon dioxide in the presence of a catalyst to obtain 2-ethylidene-6-hepten-5-olide:

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The process according to one claim 1,
wherein the solid oxidic acid in said reacting (i) comprises a substance selected from the group consisting of an amorphous silica-alumina, zirconium dioxide, and titanium dioxide.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1,
wherein the heterogeneous catalyst in said reacting (i) comprises palladium, platinum or nickel.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1,
wherein said reacting (i) is carried out in the absence of a solvent.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1,
wherein said reacting (i) is carried out at a temperature of from 25° C. to 400° C.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1,
wherein said reacting (i) is carried out at a pressure of from 1 bar to 200 bar.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1,
wherein said reacting (i) is carried out at a mass ratio of a feed stream to the heterogeneous catalyst per hour of residence time of from 0.1 to 20 h−1.

### Claim 10 (depends on 2)

The process according to claim 2,
wherein the catalyst in said reacting (ii) comprises palladium, platinum or nickel.

### Claim 11 (depends on 2)

The process according to claim 2,
wherein said reacting (ii) is carried out at a temperature of from 0° C. to 100° C.

### Claim 12 (depends on 2)

The process according to claim 2,
wherein said reacting (ii) is carried out at a pressure of from 2 bar to 50 bar.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

A process for producing an ester, the process comprising:
reacting 2-ethylheptanoic acid with an alcohol to obtain an ester,
wherein the 2-ethylheptanoic acid is obtained by the process according to claim 1.

### Claim 14

(canceled)