Catalysts for the dehydration of lactic acid, lactic acid derivatives, or mixtures thereof to acrylic acid, acrylic acid derivatives, or mixtures thereof in liquid phase comprising an ionic liquid (IL) and an acid are provided.

Provided is a method for producing a cyclic carbonate obtained by reacting epoxide and carbon dioxide in the presence of a quaternary onium salt as a counter ion or a quaternary phosphonium salt having a halogenated anion as a counter ion, or in the presence of a solid catalyst obtained by immobilizing the quaternary onium salt onto a carrier, wherein an organohalogen compound containing at least one halogen atom in one molecule is added to the reaction system.

An RMA crosslinkable composition for making thick coating layers having at least one crosslinkable component comprising reactive components A and B each including at least 2 reactive groups wherein the at least 2 reactive groups of component A are acidic protons (CH) in activated methylene or methine groups, and the at least 2 reactive groups of component B are activated unsaturated groups (CC), to achieve crosslinking by Real Michael Addition reaction, the composition further including a base catalyst (C), an XH group containing component (D) that is also a Michael addition donor reactable with component B under the action of catalyst C, wherein X is C, N, P, O or S and a sag control component (E). A crosslinkable composition is also disclosed for preparing thick coating layers having a dry thickness of at least 70 mu having a surface appearance and hardness of the resulting cured composition.

Disclosed is a process for the reductive carbonylation of a low molecular weight alcohol to produce the homologous aldehyde and/or alcohol. The process includes conducting the reaction to produce the aldehyde in the presence of a single component catalyst complex composed of cobalt, an onium cation and iodide in a ratio of 1:2:4 without additional promoters. A ruthenium co-catalyst is used in the production of the homologous alcohol. The reductive carbonylation reaction does not require an additional iodide promoter and produces a crude reductive carbonylation product substantially free of methyl iodide.

A pre-formation unit, includes: a first vessel comprising a solution of co-catalyst and modifier; a second vessel comprising chromium compound and ligand; wherein the first and second vessel are connected via lines to a mixing unit, wherein each line has a flow control valve; wherein the mixing unit is connected via a line having a flow control valve to an oligomerization reactor; wherein gas inlets are each connected to the first vessel and to the second vessel, and wherein a portion of each of the first vessel, the second vessel, the mixing unit, and the flow control valves are within a temperature controlled enclosure.

There is a process for preparing polycarbonate. The process has the step of copolymerizing an epoxy compound and carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) in the presence of a catalytic system having at least one catalyst selected from complexes of a transition metal having general formula (I): ##STR00001## The aforesaid process allows to obtain polycarbonates having a quantity of carbonate bonds in chain greater than 95% or polycarbonate/polyether copolymers having a quantity of ether bonds in chain ranging from 15% to 90%.

Provided is a method for continuously producing a cyclic carbonate, by which generation of a glycol in a reaction for synthesizing a cyclic carbonate is suppressed, and a cyclic carbonate having a high purity can be efficiently obtained even by simple purification. A method for continuously producing a cyclic carbonate, including filling a catalyst in a fixed-bed tube reactor, and continuously feeding carbon dioxide and an epoxide to the fixed-bed tube reactor to thereby bringing the carbon dioxide and the epoxide into contact with the catalyst, while continuously withdrawing the reaction liquid in the fixed-bed tube reactor, wherein the method includes a pre-treatment step in which a pre-treatment liquid containing a cyclic carbonate is brought into contact with the catalyst before feeding the carbon dioxide and the epoxide to the fixed-bed tube reactor, and the generated glycol is removed out of the system.

An RMA crosslinkable composition for making thick coating layers having at least one crosslinkable component comprising reactive components A and B each including at least 2 reactive groups wherein the at least 2 reactive groups of component A are acidic protons (CH) in activated methylene or methine groups, and the at least 2 reactive groups of component B are activated unsaturated groups (CC), to achieve crosslinking by Real Michael Addition reaction, the composition further including a base catalyst (C), an XH group containing component (D) that is also a Michael addition donor reactable with component B under the action of catalyst C, wherein X is C, N, P, O or S and a sag control component (E). A crosslinkable composition is also disclosed for preparing thick coating layers having a dry thickness of at least 70 mu having a surface appearance and hardness of the resulting cured composition.

Process of catalytic fluorination in liquid phase of product 2-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene into product 2-chloro-1,1,1,2-tetrafluoropropane, with an ionic liquid based catalyst. Process for manufacturing 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene.

Catalysts that include at least one catalytically active element and one helper catalyst can be used to increase the rate or lower the overpotential of chemical reactions. The helper catalyst can simultaneously act as a director molecule, suppressing undesired reactions and thus increasing selectivity toward the desired reaction. These catalysts can be useful for a variety of chemical reactions including, in particular, the electrochemical conversion of CO.sub.2 or formic acid. The catalysts can also suppress H.sub.2 evolution, permitting electrochemical cell operation at potentials below RHE. Chemical processes and devices using the catalysts are also disclosed, including processes to produce CO, OH.sup., HCO.sup., H.sub.2CO, (HCO.sub.2).sup., H.sub.2CO.sub.2, CH.sub.3OH, CH.sub.4, C.sub.2H.sub.4, CH.sub.3CH.sub.2OH, CH.sub.3COO.sup., CH.sub.3COOH, C.sub.2H.sub.6, O.sub.2, H.sub.2, (COOH).sub.2, or (COO.sup.).sub.2, and a specific device, namely, a CO.sub.2 sensor.