A promoted VPO catalyst for the oxidation of n-butane to maleic anhydride wherein the catalyst comprises the mixed oxides of vanadium and phosphorus, niobium and at least one of antimony and bismuth, wherein the catalyst may be produced in a process comprising impregnating a VPO catalyst with a metal source compound of niobium and a metal source compound of at least one of antimony and bismuth, to form a metal impregnated VPO catalyst, and then drying the metal impregnated VPO catalyst to form the promoted VPO catalyst.

A promoted VPO catalyst for the oxidation of n-butane to maleic anhydride wherein the catalyst comprises the mixed oxides of vanadium and phosphorus, niobium and at least one of antimony and bismuth, wherein the catalyst may be produced in a process comprising impregnating a VPO catalyst with a metal source compound of niobium and a metal source compound of at least one of antimony and bismuth, to form a metal impregnated VPO catalyst, and then drying the metal impregnated VPO catalyst to form the promoted VPO catalyst.

The invention relates to a process for preparing acrylic acid from formaldehyde and acetic acid, comprising (i) providing a gaseous stream S1 comprising formaldehyde, acetic acid and acrylic acid, where the molar ratio of acrylic acid to the sum total of formaldehyde and acetic acid in stream S1 is in the range from 0.005:1 to 0.3:1; (ii) contacting stream S1 with an aldol condensation catalyst in a reaction zone to obtain a gaseous stream S2 comprising acrylic acid.

Bio-based glacial acrylic acid, produced from hydroxypropionic acid, hydroxypropionic acid derivatives, or mixtures thereof and having impurities of hydroxypropionic acid, hydroxypropionic acid derivatives, or mixtures thereof, is polymerized to poly(acrylic acid) or superabsorbent polymer using the same processes as petroleum-derived glacial acrylic acid.

Bio-based glacial acrylic acid, produced from hydroxypropionic acid, hydroxypropionic acid derivatives, or mixtures thereof and having impurities of hydroxypropionic acid, hydroxypropionic acid derivatives, or mixtures thereof, is polymerized to poly(acrylic acid) or superabsorbent polymer using the same processes as petroleum-derived glacial acrylic acid.

There are provided methods for the valorization of carbohydrates. The methods comprise reacting a fluid comprising at least one carbohydrate with at least one metal catalyst or at least one metal catalytic system in a fluidized bed reactor so as to obtain at least one organic acid or a derivative thereof.

There are provided methods for the valorization of carbohydrates. The methods comprise reacting a fluid comprising at least one carbohydrate with at least one metal catalyst or at least one metal catalytic system in a fluidized bed reactor so as to obtain at least one organic acid or a derivative thereof.

A process for preparing acrylic acid from methanol and acetic acid, comprising (i) contacting a gaseous stream S0 comprising methanol, oxygen and inert gas with an oxidation catalyst to obtain a gaseous stream S1 comprising formaldehyde and inert gas; (ii) removing at least a portion of the inert gas present in S1 from at least a portion of the formaldehyde present in S1 by absorbing this formaldehyde in an absorbent to obtain a gaseous stream S2 comprising the portion of the inert gas removed, and to obtain a stream S3 comprising absorbent and absorbate comprising formaldehyde; (iii) optionally removing a portion or the entirety of the absorbent present in stream S3, such that a stream S3a remains from stream S3, and producing a stream S4 from at least stream S3 or stream S3a and a stream S5 comprising acetic acid; and (iv) contacting stream S4 in gaseous form with an aldol condensation catalyst to obtain a gaseous stream S6 comprising acrylic acid.

A process for preparing acrylic acid from methanol and acetic acid, comprising (i) contacting a gaseous stream S0 comprising methanol, oxygen and inert gas with an oxidation catalyst to obtain a gaseous stream S1 comprising formaldehyde and inert gas; (ii) removing at least a portion of the inert gas present in S1 from at least a portion of the formaldehyde present in S1 by absorbing this formaldehyde in an absorbent to obtain a gaseous stream S2 comprising the portion of the inert gas removed, and to obtain a stream S3 comprising absorbent and absorbate comprising formaldehyde; (iii) optionally removing a portion or the entirety of the absorbent present in stream S3, such that a stream S3a remains from stream S3, and producing a stream S4 from at least stream S3 or stream S3a and a stream S5 comprising acetic acid; and (iv) contacting stream S4 in gaseous form with an aldol condensation catalyst to obtain a gaseous stream S6 comprising acrylic acid.

The present invention provides the use of a metal-doped hydroxyapatite catalyst for highly selective conversion of an alcohol to an aldehyde at low temperatures. More specifically, the invention provides the use of a silver-doped hydroxyapatite catalyst for the highly selective oxidative dehydrogenation of ethanol to acetaldehyde. The present invention also provides the method for converting ethanol to acetaldehyde using a silver-doped hydroxyapatite catalyst.