PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF 1, 3-PROPANEDIOL BY CATALYTIC HYDROGENATION OF 3-HYDROXYPROPANAL IN THE PRESENCE OF A HYDRATION CO-CATALYST

摘要

A PROCESS FOR PREPARING 1,3-PROPANEDIOL COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: (A) PREPARING AN AQUEOUS MIXTURE OF 3-HYDROXYPROPANAL, (B) PASSING SAID AQUEOUS 3-HYDROXYPROPANAL MIXTURE TO A HYDROGENATION ZONE WHEREIN THE HYDROGENATION ZONE IS COMPRISED OF AT LEAST TWO STAGES WHEREIN THE HYDROGENATION IN THE FIRST STAGE IS CARRIED OUT UNDER HYDROGENATION CONDITIONS AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 50 TO ABOUT 130 °C IN THE PRESENCE OF A FIXED BED OR SLURRY HYDROGENATION CATALYST AND WHEREIN AN ACIDIC CO-CATALYST IS ADDED OR PRESENT IN AT LEAST ONE OF THE LATER STAGES AND THE HYDROGENATION IN SAID LATER STAGES IS CARRIED OUT UNDER HYDROGENATION CONDITIONS AT A HIGHER TEMPERATURE THAN THAT OF THE FIRST HYDROGENATION STAGE AND IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 70 TO ABOUT 155 °C TO FORM AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF 1,3-PROPANEDIOL; AND (C) RECOVERING SAID 1,3-PROPANEDIOL.