PROCESS FOR PREPARING GAMMA-BUTYROLACTONE, BUTANE-1,4-DIOL AND TETRAHYDROFURAN

摘要

A process for the production of at least one C4 compound selected from 1,4-butanediol, gamma -butyrolactone and tetrahydrofuran, in which a solution of maleic anhydride in a high boiling ester is esterified with a C1 to C4 alcohol to form the corresponding di-(C1 to C4 alkyl)maleate, which is hydrogenated to form the at least one C4 compound. The high boiling ester has a boiling point at atmospheric pressure which is about 30 DEG C higher than that of the di-(C1 to C4 alkyl)maleate and is selected from di-(C1 to C4 alkyl)esters of alkyl dicarboxylic acids containing up to 13 carbon atoms, mono- and di-(C10 to C18 alkyl)esters of maleic acid, fumaric acid, succinic acid, and mixtures thereof, (C1 to C4 alkyl)esters of naphthalenemonocarboxylic acids, tri-(C1 to C4 alkyl)esters of tricarboxylic acids, and di-(C1 to C4 alkyl)esters of isophthalic acid.