Catalyzed hydrogenation of carboxylic acids and their anhydrides to alcohols and/or esters
AssigneesThe British Petroleum Company p.l.c., BP Chemicals Limited
InventorsMelanie Kitson, Peter S. Williams
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Abstract
An alcohol and/or a carboxylic acid ester is produced from a carboxylic acid or anhydride thereof by reacting the acid or anhyride with hydrogen at elevated temperature in the presence as catalyst of a composition comprising an alloy of (i) at least one noble metal of Group VIII of the Periodic Table and (ii) at least one metal capable of alloying with the Group VIII noble metal, optionally including a support and at least one of the metals rhenium, tungsten or molybdenum. The process is particularly applicable to the hydrogenation of monobasic acids, for example acetic acid, and the hydrogenation of maleic acid or maleic anhydride to gamma-butyrolactone.
Claims18
A process for the production from either a carboxylic acid or an anhydride thereof of the corresponding alcohol and/or carboxylic acid ester which process comprises reacting the carboxylic acid or anhydride thereof with hydrogen at elevated temperature in the presence as catalyst of a composition comprising an alloy of (i) at least one noble metal of Group VIII of the Periodic Table of the Elements, and (ii) at least one metal capable of alloying with the aforesaid Group VIII noble metal.
A process for the production of gamma-butyrolactone from either maleic acid or maleic anhydride which process comprises reacting either maleic acid or maleic anhydride at elevated temperature with hydrogen in the presence as catalyst of a composition comprising an alloy (i) of at least one noble metal of Group VIII of the Periodic Table of the Elements and (ii) at least one metal capable of alloying with the noble metal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.