| abstract |
1454440 Butane-1,4-diol UCB 2 Oct 1975 [3 Oct 1974] 42920/74 Heading C2C Butane 1,4-diol is prepared by esterifying but-2-ene-1,4-dioic acid by heating to boiling with a (C 1 -C 6 ) monohydroxy aliphatic alkanol, in the absence of an esterification catalyst, and converting the dialkyl but-2-ene-1,4-dioate thus obtained into butane 1,4-diol and the said alkanol by hydrogenolysis in the presence of a copper chromite catalyst. The starting material is suitably maleic anhydride, maleic acid, fumaric acid or a mixture thereof. |