Manufacture of 3-methyl-tetrahydrofuran from alpha-methylene-gamma-butyrolactone in a two step process

A continuous process for producing 3-methyl-tetrahydrofuran comprising the steps of:

• (a) hydrogenating the compound alpha-methylene-gamma-butyrolactone, represented by the formula (I) in the presence of a first catalytic metal and optionally in the presence of a first catalyst promoter, to produce 2-methyl-gamma-butyrolactone;
• and
• (b) hydrogenating the compound 2-methyl-gamma-butytrolactone, represented by formula (II), produced in step (a), in the presence of a second catalytic metal and optionally in the presence of a second catalyst promoter;
• wherein the first catalytic metal is optionally supported and is selected from the group consisting of palladium, ruthenium, rhenium, rhodium, iridium, platinum, compounds thereof, and combinations thereof;
• wherein the second catalytic metal is optionally supported and is selected from a group consisting of copper, cobalt, nickel, iron, rhenium, palladium, ruthenium, platinum, rhodium, manganese, iridium, technetium, osmium, gold, compounds thereof, and combinations thereof;
• and
• wherein, said first and said second catalyst promoters are independently selected from the group consisting of tin, zinc, copper, gold, silver, sulfuric acid, fluorosulfonic acid, phosphoric acid, p-toluenesulfonic acid, benzenesulfonic acid, phosphotungtstic acid, phosphomolybdic acid, trifluromethanesulfonic acid, 1,1,2,2-tetrafluorethanesulfonic acid, 1,1,1,2,3,4-hexafluorpropanesulfonic acid, bismuth triflate, yttrium triflate, ytterbium triflate neodymium triflate, lanthanum triflate, scandium triflate, zirconium triflate, heteropolyacids supported on zirconia, titania, Zn(BF4)2, methane sulfonic acid and Nafion®.