| abstract |
Alcohols are prepd. by hydrogenation of organic carboxylic acid ester cpds. (I) in the presence of a Cu/Zr catalyst contg. Cu, Zr and O and having a wt. ratio of Cu atom to Zr atom of 9/1 to 1/9, and in the presence of 2-100 equivs. of H2 per equiv. of ester gp. in (I), at a temp. of 130-300 deg.C and a press. of 1-300 kg/cm2. USE/ADVANTAGE - The new catalyst is free from toxic components such as Cr, has high hydrogenation activity, is easily removed from the reaction medium e.g. by filtration, and gives high -yields of the desired alcohol. The process is esp. useful for prodn. of higher alcohols and dihydric alcohols, e.g. esters such as di(m)ethyl oxalate, dipropyl oxalate, (m)ethyl glycolate, propylglycolate etc. are converted into ethylene glycol; succinic acid diesters give 1,4-butanediol; lactic acid esters give propylene glycol; glutaric acid diesters give 1,5-pentanediol; adipic acid diesters give 1,6-hexanediol; and straight chain, branched or unsaturated higher aliphatic acid esters with at least one ester gp. in an aliphatic acid with 6 or more C atoms give higher alcohols. |