GB970790A - Process for the preparation of primary alcohols - Google Patents

Abstract

Primary alcohols are produced by hydrogenating a C7 to C22 aliphatic monoepoxide having a terminal epoxide group in the presence of a catalyst which contains at least 50% by weight of cobalt, iron or osmium or at least 50% by weight of a mixture thereof and optionally also containing at most 50% or preferably 35% by weight of nickel, referred to the metal in the catalyst; the hydrogenation may be effected at 100 to 250 DEG C. preferably 120 to 200 DEG C. at superatmospheric pressures up to 400 ats. There may also be present as activator a small amount of thorium, magnesium or alkali metal and the catalyst may be supported on a carrier e.g. aluminium oxide, aibieic acid or pumice. In the examples, which include the preparation of catalysts (see Division B1), the use of catalysts outside the scope of the invention is contrasted, and purification of the resulting products, which contain minor amounts of paraffins and secondary alcohols is effected by vacuum fractional distillation using a spinning band column. Batch and continuous hydrogenation over fixed beds of catalyst are described.ALSO:Catalysts containing at least 50% by weight of cobalt, iron or osmium metal or at least 50% by weight of a mixture thereof, and up to optionally 50%, preferably 35%, by weight of metals present of nickel are employed for hydrogenating aliphatic monoepoxides to primary alcohols (see Division C2). There may also be present, as activator, a small amount of thorium, magnesium or alkali metal and the catalyst may be supported on a solid carrier, e.g. aluminium oxide, silicic acid or pumice. In the examples there is described the detailed preparations of a cobalt catalyst containing magnesium and thorium by precipitating the carbonates on to kieselguhr, the final activation being carried out by reduction in hydrogen, and of a non supported, tabletted cobalt manganese catalyst. The use of other catalysts prepared by identical means or literature methods, as the case may be, is referred to.