The present invention relates to a method for the acetylation of an aqueous solution of lactic acid to (S)-2-acetyloxypropionic acid. The process comprises in particular removing water from the solution of lactic acid and reacting lactic acid with acetic anhydride in the presence of acetic acid.

The present invention relates to a method for the acetylation of an aqueous solution of lactic acid to (S)-2-acetyloxypropionic acid. The process comprises in particular removing water from the solution of lactic acid and reacting lactic acid with acetic anhydride in the presence of acetic acid.

In a method for producing an aliphatic carboxylic acid ester by reacting an aliphatic carboxylic acid having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms and an olefin having from 2 to 4 carbon atoms in a gas phase by use of a solid acid catalyst, a solid acid catalyst in which a heteropolyacid or a salt thereof is supported on a silica carrier obtainable by kneading fumed silica obtained by a combustion method, silica gel obtained by a gel method, and colloidal silica obtained by a sol-gel method or a water glass method, molding the resulting kneaded product, and calcining the resulting molded body, is used.

In a method for producing an aliphatic carboxylic acid ester by reacting an aliphatic carboxylic acid having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms and an olefin having from 2 to 4 carbon atoms in a gas phase by use of a solid acid catalyst, a solid acid catalyst in which a heteropolyacid or a salt thereof is supported on a silica carrier obtainable by kneading fumed silica obtained by a combustion method, silica gel obtained by a gel method, and colloidal silica obtained by a sol-gel method or a water glass method, molding the resulting kneaded product, and calcining the resulting molded body, is used.

A method for directly producing methyl acetate and/or acetic acid from syngas, carried out in at least two reaction zones, including: feeding a raw material containing syngas into a first reaction zone to contact and react with a metal catalyst; allowing an obtained effluent to enter a second reaction zone directly or after the addition of carbon monoxide so as to contact and react with a solid acid catalyst; separating the obtained effluent to obtain product of acetate and/or acetic acid, and optionally returning a residual part to enter the first reaction zone and/or the second reaction zone to recycle the reaction. This provides a novel method for directly converting syngas into methyl acetate and/or acetic acid. Further, the product selectivity of the product of methyl acetate or acetic acid is greater than 93%, and the quantity of methyl acetate and acetic acid may be adjusted according to processing.

A method for directly producing methyl acetate and/or acetic acid from syngas, carried out in at least two reaction zones, including: feeding a raw material containing syngas into a first reaction zone to contact and react with a metal catalyst; allowing an obtained effluent to enter a second reaction zone directly or after the addition of carbon monoxide so as to contact and react with a solid acid catalyst; separating the obtained effluent to obtain product of acetate and/or acetic acid, and optionally returning a residual part to enter the first reaction zone and/or the second reaction zone to recycle the reaction. This provides a novel method for directly converting syngas into methyl acetate and/or acetic acid. Further, the product selectivity of the product of methyl acetate or acetic acid is greater than 93%, and the quantity of methyl acetate and acetic acid may be adjusted according to processing.

A method for producing the silica carrier which includes kneading fumed silica obtained by a combustion method, silica gel obtained by a gel method, and colloidal silica obtained by a sol-gel method or a water glass method, molding the resulting kneaded product, and calcining the resulting molded body. The silica carrier has, in the measurement of pore size distribution, mesopores with a pore size of 2 to 50 nm and macropores with a pore size of more than 50 nm and 1,000 nm or less.

A method for producing the silica carrier which includes kneading fumed silica obtained by a combustion method, silica gel obtained by a gel method, and colloidal silica obtained by a sol-gel method or a water glass method, molding the resulting kneaded product, and calcining the resulting molded body. The silica carrier has, in the measurement of pore size distribution, mesopores with a pore size of 2 to 50 nm and macropores with a pore size of more than 50 nm and 1,000 nm or less.

A (meth)acryloyl compound represented by the following formula (A): ##STR00001## wherein X is a 2m-valent group having 1 to 60 carbon atoms or a single bond; each Z is independently an oxygen atom, a sulfur atom, or not a crosslink; each R.sup.1 is independently a linear, branched, or cyclic alkyl group having 1 to 30 carbon atoms, an aryl group having 6 to 30 carbon atoms and optionally having a substituent, an alkenyl group having 2 to 30 carbon atoms and optionally having a substituent, an alkoxy group having 1 to 30 carbon atoms and optionally having a substituent, a halogen atom, a nitro group, an amino group, a carboxylic acid group, a thiol group, a hydroxy group, or a group in which a hydrogen atom of a hydroxy group is replaced with a vinylphenylmethyl group, wherein the alkyl group, the aryl group, the alkenyl group, or the alkoxy group optionally contains an ether bond, a ketone bond, or an ester bond; each R.sup.1A is independently a methyl group or a hydrogen atom; each k is independently an integer of 0 to 2, provided that all of the k moieties are not 0 at the same time; m is an integer of 1 to 3; each n is independently an integer of 0 to 5; and each p is independently 0 or 1.

A method for directly producing ethanol from syngas, carried out in three reaction zones, including: feeding a raw material containing syngas and dimethyl ether into a first reaction zone to contact with a solid acid catalyst, reacting; allowing the effluent from the first reaction zone to enter a second reaction zone to contact with a metal catalyst and react; separating the effluent from the second reaction zone to obtain product ethanol and by-product methanol; allowing by-product methanol to enter a third reaction zone to perform a dehydration reaction to obtain dimethyl ether, and allowing the obtained dimethyl ether to enter the first reaction zone to recycle the reaction. This provides a novel method for directly converting syngas to ethanol and an ethanol product can be directly produced by using syngas as a raw material.