A method of producing an ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid or ester such as (meth) acrylic acid or alkyl esters thereof, for example, methyl methacrylate is described. The process comprises the steps of contacting formaldehyde or a suitable source thereof with a carboxylic acid or ester, for example, propionic acid or alkyl esters thereof in the presence of a catalyst and optionally an alcohol. The catalyst comprises group II metal phosphate crystals having rod or needle like morphology or a suitable source thereof. The phosphate may be a hydroxyapatite, pyrophosphate, hydroxyphosphate, PO.sub.4.sup.2− phosphate or mixtures thereof. The group II metal may be selected from Ca, Sr, Ba or mixtures thereof, for example, strontium hydroxyapatite and calcium hydroxyapatite. A catalyst system comprising a crystalline metal phosphate catalyst and a catalyst support is also described. The metal phosphate has rod/needle like morphology.

A method of producing an ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid or ester such as (meth) acrylic acid or alkyl esters thereof, for example, methyl methacrylate is described. The process comprises the steps of contacting formaldehyde or a suitable source thereof with a carboxylic acid or ester, for example, propionic acid or alkyl esters thereof in the presence of a catalyst and optionally an alcohol. The catalyst comprises group II metal phosphate crystals having rod or needle like morphology or a suitable source thereof. The phosphate may be a hydroxyapatite, pyrophosphate, hydroxyphosphate, PO.sub.4.sup.2− phosphate or mixtures thereof. The group II metal may be selected from Ca, Sr, Ba or mixtures thereof, for example, strontium hydroxyapatite and calcium hydroxyapatite. A catalyst system comprising a crystalline metal phosphate catalyst and a catalyst support is also described. The metal phosphate has rod/needle like morphology.

The present invention relates to the production of biodiesel and alkyl esters by the transesterification of triglyceride esters, with alcohols in heterogeneous phase in the presence of heterogeneous catalysts, with yields higher than 80%, at a temperature from 0 to 300° C., residence time from 20 minutes to 20 h, space velocity of 0.1 to 10 h.sup.−1, pressure of 25-100 kg/cm.sup.2 (24.5-98.07 bar), methanol/oil molar ratio of 10 to 40 and catalyst concentration of 0.001 to 20 weight % based on tri-, di- or monoglyceride. The method produces biodiesel and alkyl esters by transesterification of tri-, di- or mono-glycerides, from palm, jatropha, castor, soybean and sunflower oils, wherein the alcohoxyls R.sup.1O, R.sup.2O and R.sup.3O of the glycerides are C.sub.1 to C.sub.24 and a C.sub.1-C.sub.4 alcohol, such as methanol, in an alcohol:oil ratio from 3:1 to 50:1. The transesterification reaction produces biodiesel while avoiding loss of catalyst, contaminating liquid effluents and eliminating undesirable hydrolysis of triglycerides, diglycerides and monoglycerides into free fatty acids and saponification that generate soaps.

The present invention relates to the production of biodiesel and alkyl esters by the transesterification of triglyceride esters, with alcohols in heterogeneous phase in the presence of heterogeneous catalysts, with yields higher than 80%, at a temperature from 0 to 300° C., residence time from 20 minutes to 20 h, space velocity of 0.1 to 10 h.sup.−1, pressure of 25-100 kg/cm.sup.2 (24.5-98.07 bar), methanol/oil molar ratio of 10 to 40 and catalyst concentration of 0.001 to 20 weight % based on tri-, di- or monoglyceride. The method produces biodiesel and alkyl esters by transesterification of tri-, di- or mono-glycerides, from palm, jatropha, castor, soybean and sunflower oils, wherein the alcohoxyls R.sup.1O, R.sup.2O and R.sup.3O of the glycerides are C.sub.1 to C.sub.24 and a C.sub.1-C.sub.4 alcohol, such as methanol, in an alcohol:oil ratio from 3:1 to 50:1. The transesterification reaction produces biodiesel while avoiding loss of catalyst, contaminating liquid effluents and eliminating undesirable hydrolysis of triglycerides, diglycerides and monoglycerides into free fatty acids and saponification that generate soaps.

The present invention relates to heterogeneous acid catalysts comprising or consisting of mixed metal salts, of lithium and aluminum phosphates and sulfates, and combinations with metallic cations, such as magnesium, titanium, zinc, zirconium and gallium, to provide adequate Lewis acidity; organic or inorganic porosity promoters, such as polysaccharides; and agglomerates, such as clays, kaolin and metal oxides of the type M.sub.xO.sub.y, where; M=Al, Mg, Sr, Zr or Ti, and other metals of groups IA, IIA and IVB, x=1 or 2 and y=2 or 3, for the formation of particles. A process is disclosed for obtaining from the catalyst by the hydrolysis of aluminum lithium hydride with water and oxygenated solvent, such as an ether. The catalysts are used in batch reactor and continuous flow systems in reactions that require moderate Lewis acidity, such as refining, petrochemical and general chemistry, including the transesterification of glycerides to produce alkyl esters.

Provide is a new carrier for exhaust gas purification catalyst which exhibits excellent catalytic activity, particularly catalytic activity at a low temperature. Proposed is a carrier for exhaust gas purification catalyst composed of particles which contain a silicate or phosphate containing one kind or two or more kinds among the elements belonging to Group 1 and Group 2 in the periodic table.

A continuous process for the preparation of propylene oxide, comprising (i) providing a liquid feed stream comprising propene, hydrogen peroxide, acetonitrile, water, optionally propane, and at least one dissolved potassium salt; (ii) passing the feed stream provided in (i) into an epoxidation reactor comprising a catalyst comprising a titanium zeolite of structure type MWW, and subjecting the feed stream to epoxidation reaction conditions in the epoxidation reactor, obtaining a reaction mixture comprising propylene oxide, acetonitrile, water, the at least one potassium salt, optionally propene, and optionally pane; (iii) removing an effluent stream from the epoxidation reactor, the effluent stream comprising propylene oxide, acetonitrile, water, at least a portion of the at least one potassium salt, optionally propene, and optionally propane.

A continuous process for the preparation of propylene oxide, comprising (i) providing a liquid feed stream comprising propene, hydrogen peroxide, acetonitrile, water, optionally propane, and at least one dissolved potassium salt of a phosphorus oxyacid wherein the molar ratio of potassium relative to phosphorus in the at least one potassium salt of a phosphorus oxyacid is in the range of from 0.6 to 1.4; (ii) passing the liquid feed stream provided in (i) into an epoxidation reactor comprising a catalyst comprising a titanium zeolite of structure type MWW comprising zinc, and subjecting the liquid feed stream to epoxidation reaction conditions in the epoxidation reactor, obtaining a reaction mixture comprising propylene oxide, acetonitrile, water, the at least one dissolved potassium salt of a phosphorus oxyacid, optionally propene, and optionally propane; (iii) removing an effluent stream from the epoxidation reactor, the effluent stream comprising propylene oxide, acetonitrile, water, at least a portion of the at least one dissolved potassium salt of a phosphorus oxyacid, optionally propene, and optionally propane.

A continuous process for the preparation of propylene oxide, comprising (i) providing a liquid feed stream comprising propene, hydrogen peroxide, acetonitrile, water, optionally propane, and at least one dissolved potassium salt of a phosphorus oxyacid wherein the molar ratio of potassium relative to phosphorus in the at least one potassium salt of a phosphorus oxyacid is in the range of from 0.6 to 1.4; (ii) passing the liquid feed stream provided in (i) into an epoxidation reactor comprising a catalyst comprising a titanium zeolite of structure type MWW comprising zinc, and subjecting the liquid feed stream to epoxidation reaction conditions in the epoxidation reactor, obtaining a reaction mixture comprising propylene oxide, acetonitrile, water, the at least one dissolved potassium salt of a phosphorus oxyacid, optionally propene, and optionally propane; (iii) removing an effluent stream from the epoxidation reactor, the effluent stream comprising propylene oxide, acetonitrile, water, at least a portion of the at least one dissolved potassium salt of a phosphorus oxyacid, optionally propene, and optionally propane.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method for suppressing the corrosion of a reactor and reducing waste in the production of 2-furaldehyde from a sugar raw material containing a hexose as a constituent component, and another object of the invention is to provide an industrially advantageous method for producing 2-furaldehyde, which suppresses a decrease in the activity of a catalyst in a case of using an acid catalyst and provides a higher yield. The present invention relates to a method for producing 2-furaldehyde comprising heating a sugar raw material containing a hexose as a constituent component in an aprotic polar solvent in the presence of a solid acid catalyst.