| abstract |
1464263 Butane-1,4-diol UCB 3 Dec 1974 52223/74 Heading C2C A process for the production of butane-1,4- diol comprises esterifying but-2-ene-1,4-dioic acid by heating to boiling with a (C 1 -C 6 ) alkanol in the presence of a (C 1 -C 8 ) alkyl orthotitanate as catalyst, and converting the alkyl but-2-ene-1,4-diote thus obtained by hydrogenolysis in the presence of a copper chromite catalyst into a mixture of butane-1,4-diol and the above-mentioned alkanol, separating off the butane-1,4-diol and recycling the alkanol. The starting materials are suitably maleic acid, maleic anhydride, fumaric acid or a mixture thereof and n-butanol or isobutanol. |