Manufacture of butynediol
AssigneeBASF SE
InventorsWolfgang Reiss, Siegfried Winderl, Wolfgang Schroeder, Herwig Hoffmann
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Abstract
In a process for the manufacture of butynediol by the reaction of formaldehyde and acetylene in aqueous solution, in which a catalyst is used which is produced by the action of acetylene and formaldehyde on copper (II) compounds, the catalyst becomes inactive when it is treated for a relatively long period with formaldehyde at elevated temperature in the absence of acetylene so that it must constantly remain in contact with acetylene-containing solution if its temperature is above 70.degree. C.
Claims3
In a process for the continuous manufacture of butynediol by reaction of acetylene with formaldehyde in aqueous solution at a temperature of from about 60.degree. to 100.degree. C in a reaction chamber in contact with a copper acetylide-containing catalyst suspended in the reaction mixture, withdrawing a portion of the reaction mixture, said withdrawn portion being essentially free from acetylene and comprising an aqueous solution of aqueous formaldehyde, butynediol and suspended copper acetylide-containing catalyst, and separating said suspended catalyst from said withdrawn portion, the improvement comprising separating said copper acetylide-containing catalyst which is suspended in said withdrawn portion under conditions wherein said catalyst remains in contact with the substantially acetylene-free withdrawn portion of said reaction mixture for a period of not more than five minutes at temperatures above 60.degree. C.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.