Ethylene glycol is prepared from a carbohydrate source in a process,

wherein hydrogen, the carbohydrate source, a liquid diluent and a catalyst system are introduced as reactants into a reaction zone;

wherein the catalyst system comprises a tungsten compound and ruthenium as hydrogenolysis metal and further at least one promoter metal, selected from transition and post-transition metals;

wherein the carbohydrate source is reacted with hydrogen in the presence of the catalyst system to yield a product mixture comprising ethylene glycol and butylene glycol.

Butylene glycol may selectively be removed from the product mixture by azeotropic distillation using an entraining agent.

Ethylene glycol is prepared from a carbohydrate source in a process,

wherein hydrogen, the carbohydrate source, a liquid diluent and a catalyst system are introduced as reactants into a reaction zone;

wherein the catalyst system comprises a tungsten compound and ruthenium as hydrogenolysis metal and further at least one promoter metal, selected from transition and post-transition metals;

wherein the carbohydrate source is reacted with hydrogen in the presence of the catalyst system to yield a product mixture comprising ethylene glycol and butylene glycol.

Butylene glycol may selectively be removed from the product mixture by azeotropic distillation using an entraining agent.

The invention provides a process for the separation of MEG from a glycol stream comprising MEG and 1,2-BDO, said process comprising the steps of: (a) providing the glycol stream and an azeotrope-forming agent to a distillation column, (b) subjecting the glycol stream and the azeotrope-forming agent to distillation at a distillation temperature and a distillation pressure; (c) obtaining a first overhead stream comprising an azeotrope of MEG and the azeotrope-forming agent and a first bottoms stream comprising 1,2-BDO; and (d) subjecting the first overhead stream to phase separation in the presence of water to obtain an MEG-rich aqueous stream and an azeotrope-forming agent rich stream, wherein the azeotrope-forming agent is an organic solvent that forms a homogeneous azeotrope with MEG and does not form an azeotrope with 1,2-BDO at the distillation temperature and pressure.

The invention provides a process for the separation of MEG from a glycol stream comprising MEG and 1,2-BDO, said process comprising the steps of: (a) providing the glycol stream and an azeotrope-forming agent to a distillation column, (b) subjecting the glycol stream and the azeotrope-forming agent to distillation at a distillation temperature and a distillation pressure; (c) obtaining a first overhead stream comprising an azeotrope of MEG and the azeotrope-forming agent and a first bottoms stream comprising 1,2-BDO; and (d) subjecting the first overhead stream to phase separation in the presence of water to obtain an MEG-rich aqueous stream and an azeotrope-forming agent rich stream, wherein the azeotrope-forming agent is an organic solvent that forms a homogeneous azeotrope with MEG and does not form an azeotrope with 1,2-BDO at the distillation temperature and pressure.

The present invention concerns a method of oxidizing a cycloalkane to form a product mixture containing a corresponding alcohol and ketone, said method comprising contacting a cycloalkane with a hydroperoxide compound in the presence of a catalytic effective amount of a cerium oxide based catalyst.

The present invention concerns a method of oxidizing a cycloalkane to form a product mixture containing a corresponding alcohol and ketone, said method comprising contacting a cycloalkane with a hydroperoxide compound in the presence of a catalytic effective amount of a cerium oxide based catalyst.

Retro-aldol processes are disclosed that use very low concentrations of retro-aldol catalyst in combination with hydrogenation catalyst of certain activities, sizes and spatial dispersions to obtain the high selectivities to ethylene glycol.

Retro-aldol processes are disclosed that use very low concentrations of retro-aldol catalyst in combination with hydrogenation catalyst of certain activities, sizes and spatial dispersions to obtain the high selectivities to ethylene glycol.

Continuous processes for making ethylene glycol form aldohexose-yielding carbohydrates are disclosed which enhance the selectivity to ethylene glycol.

Continuous processes for making ethylene glycol form aldohexose-yielding carbohydrates are disclosed which enhance the selectivity to ethylene glycol.