Provided is a method capable of manufacturing high-purity 1,3-butylene glycol having a high potassium permanganate test value, a very low content of low boiling point components, and a high initial boiling point with a high recovery rate.

The method for manufacturing 1,3-butylene is a method for obtaining purified 1,3-butylene glycol from a crude reaction liquid containing 1,3-butylene glycol. In a dehydration column used in a dehydration step, a liquid feed containing 1,3-butylene glycol and water with an acetaldehyde content of 1000 ppm or lower and a crotonaldehyde content of 400 ppm or lower is distilled under a condition of a reflux ratio of higher than 0.3, and a liquid concentrated with a low boiling point component containing water is distilled off from above a feed tray. In a product column used in a product distillation step, a 1,3-butylene glycol liquid feed with an acetaldehyde content of 500 ppm or lower and a crotonaldehyde content of 200 ppm or lower is distilled under a condition of a reflux ratio of higher than 0.1.

Provided is a method capable of manufacturing high-purity 1,3-butylene glycol having a high potassium permanganate test value, a very low content of low boiling point components, and a high initial boiling point with a high recovery rate.

The method for manufacturing 1,3-butylene is a method for obtaining purified 1,3-butylene glycol from a crude reaction liquid containing 1,3-butylene glycol. In a dehydration column used in a dehydration step, a liquid feed containing 1,3-butylene glycol and water with an acetaldehyde content of 1000 ppm or lower and a crotonaldehyde content of 400 ppm or lower is distilled under a condition of a reflux ratio of higher than 0.3, and a liquid concentrated with a low boiling point component containing water is distilled off from above a feed tray. In a product column used in a product distillation step, a 1,3-butylene glycol liquid feed with an acetaldehyde content of 500 ppm or lower and a crotonaldehyde content of 200 ppm or lower is distilled under a condition of a reflux ratio of higher than 0.1.

Provided is a method capable of yielding high-purity 1,3-butylene glycol having a very low content of a low boiling point component and a high initial boiling point, with a high recovery ratio. A reaction crude liquid containing 1,3-butylene glycol is subjected to product distillation to yield purified 1,3-butylene glycol, through dehydration including removing water by distillation and performing high boiling point component removal including removing a high boiling point component by distillation. A method for producing 1,3 butylene glycol, the method including: distilling a charged liquid having a water content of 1.2 wt.% or less in a product column for use in the product distillation under a condition of a reflux ratio of greater than 0.1; distilling off a liquid in which a low boiling point component is concentrated from above a charging plate; and extracting 1,3-butylene glycol from below the charging plate.

Provided is a method capable of yielding high-purity 1,3-butylene glycol having a very low content of a low boiling point component and a high initial boiling point, with a high recovery ratio. A reaction crude liquid containing 1,3-butylene glycol is subjected to product distillation to yield purified 1,3-butylene glycol, through dehydration including removing water by distillation and performing high boiling point component removal including removing a high boiling point component by distillation. A method for producing 1,3 butylene glycol, the method including: distilling a charged liquid having a water content of 1.2 wt.% or less in a product column for use in the product distillation under a condition of a reflux ratio of greater than 0.1; distilling off a liquid in which a low boiling point component is concentrated from above a charging plate; and extracting 1,3-butylene glycol from below the charging plate.

A process for the production of 4-hydroxybutyraldehyde is described. The process comprises reacting allyl alcohol with a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the presence of methylcyclohexane as a reaction solvent and a catalyst system comprising a rhodium complex and a substituted or unsubstituted diphosphine ligand. The use of the methylcyclohexane increases the reaction rate while also giving a high yield of 4-hydroxybutyraldehyde compared to 3-hydroxy-2-methylpropionaldehyde and improving the separation of the hydroxyaldehyde products from the catalyst system.

A process for the production of 4-hydroxybutyraldehyde is described. The process comprises reacting allyl alcohol with a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the presence of methylcyclohexane as a reaction solvent and a catalyst system comprising a rhodium complex and a substituted or unsubstituted diphosphine ligand. The use of the methylcyclohexane increases the reaction rate while also giving a high yield of 4-hydroxybutyraldehyde compared to 3-hydroxy-2-methylpropionaldehyde and improving the separation of the hydroxyaldehyde products from the catalyst system.

A high-purity 1,3-butylene glycol product that is colorless and odorless (or almost colorless and odorless), unlikely to cause coloration and odor over time, and/or unlikely to cause an acid concentration increase over time when the product is left in a state containing water is provided. A 1,3-butylene glycol product containing 1,3-butylene glycol, wherein, after the 1,3-butylene glycol product has been kept at 180° C. for 3 hours in air atmosphere, at least one of contents of compounds represented by the following Formula (A) or (B) is less than 8 ppm. In the following formula, R.sup.1 to R.sup.4 are the same as or different from each other, and each of R.sup.1 to R.sup.4 is a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group which has from 1 to 4 carbon atoms and may be substituted with a hydroxy group, or an alkenyl group which has from 2 to 4 carbon atoms and may be substituted with a hydroxy group.

A high-purity 1,3-butylene glycol product that is colorless and odorless (or almost colorless and odorless), unlikely to cause coloration and odor over time, and/or unlikely to cause an acid concentration increase over time when the product is left in a state containing water is provided. A 1,3-butylene glycol product containing 1,3-butylene glycol, wherein, after the 1,3-butylene glycol product has been kept at 180° C. for 3 hours in air atmosphere, at least one of contents of compounds represented by the following Formula (A) or (B) is less than 8 ppm. In the following formula, R.sup.1 to R.sup.4 are the same as or different from each other, and each of R.sup.1 to R.sup.4 is a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group which has from 1 to 4 carbon atoms and may be substituted with a hydroxy group, or an alkenyl group which has from 2 to 4 carbon atoms and may be substituted with a hydroxy group.

The invention provides non-naturally occurring microbial organisms containing a fatty alcohol, fatty aldehyde or fatty acid pathway, wherein the microbial organisms selectively produce a fatty alcohol, fatty aldehyde or fatty acid of a specified length. Also provided are non-naturally occurring microbial organisms having a fatty alcohol, fatty aldehyde or fatty acid pathway, wherein the microbial organisms further include an acetyl-CoA pathway. In some aspects, the microbial organisms of the invention have select gene disruptions or enzyme attenuations that increase production of fatty alcohols, fatty aldehydes or fatty acids. The invention additionally provides methods of using the above microbial organisms to produce a fatty alcohol, a fatty aldehyde or a fatty acid.

The invention provides non-naturally occurring microbial organisms having a 4-hydroxybutyrate pathway and being capable of producing 4-hydroxybutyrate, wherein the microbial organism comprises one or more genetic modifications. The invention additionally provides methods of producing 4-hydroxybutyrate or related products using the microbial organisms.