Stereo-selective hydrogenation of sugars to sugar alcohols with good purity - in aqueous solution, at high temperature and pressure, uses catalyst mixture of Raney metal and its alloy with inert core and active shell

摘要

Hydrogenation of 1 or more sugars to sugar alcohols in aqueous solution comprises using hydrogen (H2) at elevated temperature and pressure and a catalyst with an inert core and catalytically active shell of a mixture of pure Raney metal and a Raney metal alloy. #CMT#USE : #/CMT# The process is used for hydrogenating glucose, isomaltose, maltose, lactose, starch hydrolysate, fructose, xylose, lactulose, trehalulose, maltulose, isomaltulose, leucrose and/or fructo-oligosaccharide (claimed). #CMT#ADVANTAGE : #/CMT# The process is stereoselective unlike prior art methods. Sugar alcohols with a purity up to > 99 wt.% can be recovered and the concentration of residual sugars can be reduced to 0.2 wt.%.