A method of making spirogalbanone includes the steps of: (a) subjecting ethynylspirodecanol to a Rupe rearrangement to give a compound of the formula I ##STR00001## (b) converting the compound of (a) to a C1-C4 alkyl acetal; (c) subjecting the acetal to a trans-acetalization reaction with allyl alcohol in the presence of a mild acid catalyst; (d) heating the product of (c) in the presence of an acid catalyst to give an allylenolether; and (e) subjecting the product of (d) to a Claisen rearrangement to give spirogalbanone. The method affords an easier and more efficient method of preparation.

A method of making spirogalbanone includes the steps of: (a) subjecting ethynylspirodecanol to a Rupe rearrangement to give a compound of the formula I

##STR00001## (b) converting the compound of (a) to a C1-C4 alkyl acetal; (c) subjecting the acetal to a trans-acetalisation reaction with allyl alcohol in the presence of a mild acid catalyst; (d) heating the product of (c) in the presence of an acid catalyst to give an allylenolether; and (e) subjecting the product of (d) to a Claisen rearrangement to give spirogalbanone.

The method affords an easier and more efficient method of preparation.

A method of making spirogalbanone includes the steps of: (a) subjecting ethynylspirodecanol to a Rupe rearrangement to give a compound of the formula I

##STR00001## (b) converting the compound of (a) to a C1-C4 alkyl acetal; (c) subjecting the acetal to a trans-acetalisation reaction with allyl alcohol in the presence of a mild acid catalyst; (d) heating the product of (c) in the presence of an acid catalyst to give an allylenolether; and (e) subjecting the product of (d) to a Claisen rearrangement to give spirogalbanone.

The method affords an easier and more efficient method of preparation.

A bifunctional catalyst for conversion of oxygenates, said catalyst comprising zeolite, alumina binder and Zn, wherein the Zn is present at least partly as ZnAl.sub.2O.sub.4.

The present invention is related to a catalytic process, which includes catalytic compositions for depolymerisation and deoxygenation of lignin contained in the biomass for obtaining aromatic hydrocarbons. The catalytic composition consists of at least one non-noble element from group VIIIB of the periodic table supported on a mesoporous matrix composed of an inorganic oxide, which can be alumina surface-modified with a second inorganic oxide with the object of inhibiting the interaction between the active component and the support. The process of lignin depolymerisation consists of dissolving lignin in a mixture of protic liquids, reacting it|a reaction system by batch or in continuous flow at inert and/or reducing atmosphere, at a temperature of between 60 to 320 C. and a pressure of from 5 to 90 kg/cm.sup.2. When the reaction is developed into a batch system, oxygenated aromatic hydrocarbons are mainly produced, both by thermal as well as catalytic depolymerisation, whereas in a continuous flow reaction system, deoxygenated aromatic hydrocarbons are produced.

The present invention is related to a catalytic process, which includes catalytic compositions for depolymerisation and deoxygenation of lignin contained in the biomass for obtaining aromatic hydrocarbons. The catalytic composition consists of at least one non-noble element from group VIIIB of the periodic table supported on a mesoporous matrix composed of an inorganic oxide, which can be alumina surface-modified with a second inorganic oxide with the object of inhibiting the interaction between the active component and the support. The process of lignin depolymerisation consists of dissolving lignin in a mixture of protic liquids, reacting it|a reaction system by batch or in continuous flow at inert and/or reducing atmosphere, at a temperature of between 60 to 320 C. and a pressure of from 5 to 90 kg/cm.sup.2. When the reaction is developed into a batch system, oxygenated aromatic hydrocarbons are mainly produced, both by thermal as well as catalytic depolymerisation, whereas in a continuous flow reaction system, deoxygenated aromatic hydrocarbons are produced.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for effectively washing a used sevoflurane storage container without using expensive sevoflurane as a washing liquid. This object is achieved by employing the washing method, comprising the steps of: creating a state in which at least sevoflurane vapor is present in the storage container (step A); bringing a liquid containing water as a major component into contact with the inner wall of the sevoflurane storage container in the state in which sevoflurane vapor is present in the storage container and draining the liquid outside of the storage container while the liquid remains liquid after step A (step B); and introducing a drying gas into the storage container so as to drain the liquid remaining on the inner wall of the storage container together with the drying gas outside of the storage container after step B (step C).

Disclosed is a process for preparing at least one ether compound, comprising reacting at least one alcohol (I) with at least one polyol (II) in the presence of a functional polymer [polymer (F)] as a catalyst (X), wherein: the alcohol (I) is represented by the general formula (1): R1-OH (1) wherein R1 is a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 36 carbon atoms, the polyol (II) is represented by the general formula (2): R2-(OH) m (2) wherein R2 represents the skeleton moiety of the polyol and m is an integer of from 2 to 20, and polymer (F) is a polymer comprising recurring units derived from at least one ethylenically unsaturated monomer [monomer (M)] and bearing at least one cation exchange group. Further disclosed is a surfactant composition obtained by said process, and featuring an excellent detergency performance.

Disclosed is a method that reforms flare gas or other raw natural gas source, using air without steam, to directly produce dimethyl ether (DME), a direct diesel substitute. The method first reforms an air-natural gas mixture at ambient atmospheric pressures, and then compresses the resulting CO-hydrogen-nitrogen gas mixture to 100-2,000 psi, and feeds it through a combined reactor which reacts the gas mixture directly into DME. The nitrogen is returned to the atmosphere. DME is an excellent diesel fuel, and can be used to displace significantly costlier and dirtier petroleum-based diesel fuel, while solving a critical problem with flaring or other wasted natural gas. For example, the roughly 120 billion cubic feet per year that was flared in North Dakota in 2014 could be converted into over 3 million tons of DME using the disclosed method.

A method for improving preservation stability of 2,2-difluoroacetaldehyde according to the present invention include at least: a first step of forming a 2,2-difluoroacetaldehyde-alcohol composite system in which a 2,2-difluoroacetaldehyde hemiacetal coexists with an excess alcohol, wherein the total molar amount of the alcohol is 1.15 to 4.00 times the total molar amount of 2,2-difluoroacetaldehyde; and a second step of storing, in a storage container, the 2,2-difluoroacetaldehyde-alcohol composite system formed in the first step. It is possible by this method to suppress the conversion of the 2,2-difluoroacetaldehyde hemiacetal to a dimer and maintain the original aldehyde activity of the target compound with less composition change over a long term.