A continuous process for converting carbohydrates to ethylene and propylene glycol. The carbohydrates are mixed with water and passed through a reactor at a temperature that hydrolyzes the carbohydrate mixture at least partially to monosaccharides. The reactor has a first zone comprising a retro-aldol catalyst and a second zone comprising a reducing catalyst. The aldose is converted in the first zone into glycolaldehyde by the retro-aldol catalyst and the glycolaldehyde, in the presence of hydrogen, is converted to ethylene glycol in the second zone of the reactor. The reaction products are removed from the reactor and the ethylene glycol is recovered. The selectivity to propylene glycol can be enhanced via feeding ketose as the carbohydrate.

Provided is a method for producing an aliphatic alcohol having 8 or more and 22 or less carbon atoms through hydrogenation of a fatty acid or a fatty acid ester using a catalyst, wherein the catalyst carries a catalyst metal on a support, (a) the catalyst contains one or more elements selected from Co and Cu as the catalyst metal, (b) the total pore volume of the catalyst is 0.05 mL/g or more, and (c) the volume of pores with a pore size of 0.1 μm or more and 500 μm or less is 50% or more of the total pore volume of the catalyst.

Provided is a method for producing an aliphatic alcohol having 8 or more and 22 or less carbon atoms through hydrogenation of a fatty acid or a fatty acid ester using a catalyst, wherein the catalyst carries a catalyst metal on a support, (a) the catalyst contains one or more elements selected from Co and Cu as the catalyst metal, (b) the total pore volume of the catalyst is 0.05 mL/g or more, and (c) the volume of pores with a pore size of 0.1 μm or more and 500 μm or less is 50% or more of the total pore volume of the catalyst.

Disclosed is a composite catalyst, comprising carbon in a continuous phase and Raney alloy particles in a dispersed phase. The Raney alloy particles are dispersed evenly or unevenly in the carbon in a continuous phase, and the carbon in a continuous phase is obtained by carbonizing at least one carbonizable organic substance. The catalyst has good particle strength, high catalytic activity, and good selectivity.

Disclosed is a composite catalyst, comprising carbon in a continuous phase and Raney alloy particles in a dispersed phase. The Raney alloy particles are dispersed evenly or unevenly in the carbon in a continuous phase, and the carbon in a continuous phase is obtained by carbonizing at least one carbonizable organic substance. The catalyst has good particle strength, high catalytic activity, and good selectivity.

Disclosed is a composite catalyst, comprising carbon in a continuous phase and Raney alloy particles in a dispersed phase. The Raney alloy particles are dispersed evenly or unevenly in the carbon in a continuous phase, and the carbon in a continuous phase is obtained by carbonizing at least one carbonizable organic substance. The catalyst has good particle strength, high catalytic activity, and good selectivity.

Vinylidene olefins may undergo hydroformylation in the presence of an unmodified cobalt catalyst to form compositions comprising a mixture of alcohol molecules having a specified amount of branching. In particular, the compositions may feature a mixture comprising reduced hydroformylated reaction products of a vinylidene olefin comprising alcohol molecules represented by at least one of Structures 3-5. The mixture has an average of about 1.2 to about 2.1 branches per alcohol molecule. R.sup.a and R.sup.b may be the same or different and comprise a branched or unbranched alkyl group having about 6 to about 14 carbon atoms, excluding branches. Variable m is an integer ranging from 0 to a number of carbon atoms in R.sup.b. R.sup.b is a branched or unbranched alkyl group having m+1 carbon atoms less than R.sup.b.

##STR00001##

Vinylidene olefins may undergo hydroformylation in the presence of an unmodified cobalt catalyst to form compositions comprising a mixture of alcohol molecules having a specified amount of branching. In particular, the compositions may feature a mixture comprising reduced hydroformylated reaction products of a vinylidene olefin comprising alcohol molecules represented by at least one of Structures 3-5. The mixture has an average of about 1.2 to about 2.1 branches per alcohol molecule. R.sup.a and R.sup.b may be the same or different and comprise a branched or unbranched alkyl group having about 6 to about 14 carbon atoms, excluding branches. Variable m is an integer ranging from 0 to a number of carbon atoms in R.sup.b. R.sup.b is a branched or unbranched alkyl group having m+1 carbon atoms less than R.sup.b.

##STR00001##

Vinylidene olefins may undergo hydroformylation in the presence of an unmodified cobalt catalyst to form compositions comprising a mixture of alcohol molecules having a specified amount of branching. In particular, the compositions may feature a mixture comprising reduced hydroformylated reaction products of a vinylidene olefin comprising alcohol molecules represented by at least one of Structures 3-5. The mixture has an average of about 1.2 to about 2.1 branches per alcohol molecule. R.sup.a and R.sup.b may be the same or different and comprise a branched or unbranched alkyl group having about 6 to about 14 carbon atoms, excluding branches. Variable m is an integer ranging from 0 to a number of carbon atoms in R.sup.b. R.sup.b is a branched or unbranched alkyl group having m+1 carbon atoms less than R.sup.b.

##STR00001##

The present invention is related to a novel and improved process for the preparation of 3,7-dimethylnonan-1-ol.