The present invention provides a method for preparing 1,5-pentanediol via hydrogenolysis of tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol. The catalyst used in the method is prepared by supporting a noble metal and a promoter on an organic polymer supporter or an inorganic hybrid material supporter, wherein the supporter is functionalized by a nitrogen-containing ligand. When the catalyst is used in the hydrogenolysis of tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol to prepare 1,5-pentanediol, a good reaction activity and a high selectivity can be achieved. The promoter and the nitrogen-containing ligand in the supporter are bound to the catalyst through coordination, thereby the loss of the promoter is significantly decreased, and the catalyst has a particularly high stability. The lifetime investigation of the catalyst, which has been reused many times or used continuously for a long term, suggests that the catalyst has no obvious change in performance, thus reducing the overall process production cost.

Provided is a catalyst including a metal component including a first component that is rhenium and one or more second components selected from the group consisting of silicon, gallium, germanium, and indium and a carrier on which the metal component is supported, the carrier including an oxide of a metal belonging to Group 4 of the periodic table. Also provided is an alcohol production method in which a carbonyl compound is treated using the above catalyst. It is possible to produce an alcohol by a hydrogenation reaction of a carbonyl compound with high selectivity and high efficiency while reducing side reactions.

Provided is a catalyst including a metal component including a first component that is rhenium and one or more second components selected from the group consisting of silicon, gallium, germanium, and indium and a carrier on which the metal component is supported, the carrier including an oxide of a metal belonging to Group 4 of the periodic table. Also provided is an alcohol production method in which a carbonyl compound is treated using the above catalyst. It is possible to produce an alcohol by a hydrogenation reaction of a carbonyl compound with high selectivity and high efficiency while reducing side reactions.

A porous body is provided with enhanced fluid transport properties that is capable of performing or facilitating separations, or performing reactions and/or providing areas for such separations or reactions to take place. The porous body includes at least 80 percent alpha alumina and has a pore volume from 0.3 mL/g to 1.2 mL/g and a surface area from 0.3 m.sup.2/g to 3.0 m.sup.2/g. The porous body further includes a pore architecture that provides at least one of a tortuosity of 7.0 or less, a constriction of 4.0 or less and a permeability of 30 mdarcys or greater. The porous body can be used in a wide variety of applications such as, for example, as a filter, as a membrane or as a catalyst carrier.

A porous body is provided with enhanced fluid transport properties that is capable of performing or facilitating separations, or performing reactions and/or providing areas for such separations or reactions to take place. The porous body includes at least 80 percent alpha alumina and has a pore volume from 0.3 mL/g to 1.2 mL/g and a surface area from 0.3 m.sup.2/g to 3.0 m.sup.2/g. The porous body further includes a pore architecture that provides at least one of a tortuosity of 7.0 or less, a constriction of 4.0 or less and a permeability of 30 mdarcys or greater. The porous body can be used in a wide variety of applications such as, for example, as a filter, as a membrane or as a catalyst carrier.

A conditioning process that is employed with a high selectivity catalyst (HSC) during an initial phase (i.e., start-up) of the epoxidation process is provided. The HSC conditioning process of the present disclosure ensures that the heat release from a catalyst bed containing an HSC during a start-up operation is less than 2000 kJ/Kgcat.Math.hr. The HSC containing catalyst bed that has been conditioned by the process of the present disclosure exhibits improved performance (i.e., EO selectivity) and reduced hot spots.

A conditioning process that is employed with a high selectivity catalyst (HSC) during an initial phase (i.e., start-up) of the epoxidation process is provided. The HSC conditioning process of the present disclosure ensures that the heat release from a catalyst bed containing an HSC during a start-up operation is less than 2000 kJ/Kgcat.Math.hr. The HSC containing catalyst bed that has been conditioned by the process of the present disclosure exhibits improved performance (i.e., EO selectivity) and reduced hot spots.

Disclosed is a method of recovering a metal catalyst during production of an adipic acid from glucose. The method of recovering and the metal catalyst may provide economic feasibility of the adipic acid production process.

Disclosed is a method of recovering a metal catalyst during production of an adipic acid from glucose. The method of recovering and the metal catalyst may provide economic feasibility of the adipic acid production process.

Catalysts, catalytic systems and related synthetic methods for in situ production of H.sub.2O.sub.2 and use thereof in reaction with oxidizable substrates.