| abstract |
The invention concerns a process for dehydrating aliphatic 1,2-diols with at least three carbon atoms to form 1,2-ketone alcohols in the presence of copper-containing catalysts at temperatures between 180 and 280C in the gaseous phase. To achieve greater selectiveness, the diols contain 5 to 60 wt.% of water, referred to the total weight, and the temperatures lie between 190 and 270C. |