A process of purifying 1,4-butanediol (1,4-BDO) from a fermentation broth including separating solid materials, salts and water, and subjecting the resulting material to a two, three or four column distillation system, that can include a wiped film evaporator to produce a purified 1,4-butanediol product.

Process for preparing monoethylene glycol (MEG) by metal-catalyzed reaction of a dialkyl oxalate of the formula I

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where R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are each, independently of one another, methyl, ethyl, n-propyl or isopropyl, with hydrogen (H.sub.2), wherein the dialkyl oxalate (I) is used as melt or as a solution in a solvent, dialkyl oxalate (I) and H2 are used in a molar ratio of H.sub.2: dialkyl oxalate (I) in the range from 4.0 to 30 and the reaction is carried out continuously in a reactor at a cross-sectional loading of 10 m/s, a temperature in the range from 150 to 270 C., a pressure in the range from 150 to 390 bar and in the presence of a chromium-free heterogeneous catalyst comprising copper.

A process of purifying 1,4-butanediol (1,4-BDO) from a fermentation broth including separating solid materials, salts and water, and subjecting the resulting material to a two, three or four column distillation system, that can include a wiped film evaporator to produce a purified 1,4-butanediol product.

A process of purifying 1,4-butanediol (1,4-BDO) from a fermentation broth including separating solid materials, salts and water, and subjecting the resulting material to a two, three or four column distillation system, that can include a wiped film evaporator to produce a purified 1,4-butanediol product.

A process of purifying 1,4-butanediol (1,4-BDO) from a fermentation broth including separating solid materials, salts and water, and subjecting the resulting material to a two, three or four column distillation system, that can include a wiped film evaporator to produce a purified 1,4-butanediol product.

A process for decomposing formates in formate-containing compositions of matter comprises reacting formate-containing compositions of matter in the presence of at least one heterogeneous catalyst comprising lanthanum and at a temperature of from 80 to 180 C. and a pressure of from 0.1 to 60 bar, the formate-containing compositions of matter having a pH of from 6.5 to 10.

A process for decomposing formates in formate-containing compositions of matter comprises reacting formate-containing compositions of matter in the presence of at least one heterogeneous catalyst comprising lanthanum and at a temperature of from 80 to 180 C. and a pressure of from 0.1 to 60 bar, the formate-containing compositions of matter having a pH of from 6.5 to 10.

A process for decomposing formates in formate-containing compositions of matter comprises reacting formate-containing compositions of matter in the presence of at least one heterogeneous catalyst comprising lanthanum and at a temperature of from 80 to 180 C. and a pressure of from 0.1 to 60 bar, the formate-containing compositions of matter having a pH of from 6.5 to 10.

The present invention produces ethanol in a stacked bed reactor that comprises a first catalyst and a second catalyst, wherein the first and second catalysts comprise at least one group VIII metal, and wherein the second catalyst is substantially free of copper. The crude ethanol product may be separated and ethanol recovered.

The present invention produces ethanol in a stacked bed reactor that comprises a first catalyst and a second catalyst, wherein the first and second catalysts comprise at least one group VIII metal, and wherein the second catalyst is substantially free of copper. The crude ethanol product may be separated and ethanol recovered.