Hydrogenation of maleic anhydride to tetrahydrofuran

摘要

A continuous process for the preparation of tetrahydrofuran comprises, in a single-stage process, catalytically hydrogenating the solution which results when at least one of maleic anhydride or succinic anhydride is dissolved in a monohydric aliphatic alcohol in the presence of hydrogen and a catalyst comprising the mixed oxides of copper, zinc and aluminum.