Two stage hydrogenolysis of carbohydrate to glycols using sulfide modified ruthenium catalyst in second stage
AssigneeEthyl Corporation
InventorsMichael Dubeck, Gordon G. Knapp
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Abstract
A process for the production of a lower polyhydric alcohol or a mixture thereof by the hydrogenation and hydrolysis of a carbohydrate. The first stage hydrogenation produces higher polyhydric alcohols, such as sorbitol. In the second stage these higher polyhydric alcohols are selectively converted under the appropriate reaction conditions to lower polyhydric alcohols, such as ethylene glycol and 1,2-propylene glycol, using a sulfide-modified ruthenium catalyst.
Claims12
In a process for the production of a lower polyhydric alcohol or a mixture thereof by the hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis of a carbohydrate, said process comprising a first stage of contacting an aldose- or ketose-containing carbohydrate with hydrogen in the presence of a first catalyst and under non-basic reaction conditions to obtain a higher polyhydric alcohol or a mixture thereof and a second stage of further contacting said higher polyhydric alcohol or mixture thereof with hydrogen in the presence of a base and a second catalyst, the improvement wherein said second catalyst is sulfide-modified ruthenium, whereby said higher polyhydric alcohol is selectively converted in high yield to a mixture comprising a substantial amount of ethylene glycol and propylene glycol.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.