Process for producing carboxylic acid esters from nitriles

Abstract

In a process for preparing a carboxylic acid ester from a nitrile, water and an alcohol in the vapor phase, wherein the vapor is brought into contact with a catalyst, the improvement which comprises said catalyst being a titanium containing oxide catalyst which is obtained by hydrolyzing or neutralizing a water soluble titanium salt and subsequently calcining the resulting precipitate at a temperature in a range of about 300.degree. to 750.degree. C. and having the empirical formula Ti.sub.a Me.sub.b X.sub.c O.sub.d, wherein Me represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of Cu, Ag, Au, Mg, Zn, Sn, Pb, Zr, V, Bi, Cr, W, Mo, Mn, Fe, Co and Ni and X represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of Si and Sb and the subscripts a, b, c and d designate the atomic ratio and when a is 1, b is 0.01 to 12, c is 0 to 12 and b+c is 0.01 to 12 and d is the oxygen content of the catalyst formed by the combination of the above components.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.