There is described a method of reducing polymer tar build-up in the production of methyl methacrylate and/or methacrylic acid by the acetone cyanohydrin process. In the method a stabiliser is contacted with the amide stage reaction medium. The stabiliser includes a hydrocarbon moiety capable of donating a labile hydrogen atom to a methacrylamide derivative capable of reaction with said labile hydrogen atom under the conditions in the said medium. The method herein is especially useful for the continuous production of methyl methacrylate and/or methacrylic acid.

Described herein are methods of preparing compounds derived from triglycerides or condensation polymers such as polyesters and/or polyamides. The methods may include subjecting triglyceride or condensation polymer containing matter to mechanical processing in the presence of a nucleophile.

Platinum complexes having ferrocene-diphosphine ligands for catalysis of the hydroxycarbonylation of ethylenically unsaturated compounds.

There is provided a method for preparing homofarnesol (1), the method comprising the steps of: a) providing homofarnesylnitrile (2); b) reacting homofarnesylnitrile (2) to homofarnesic acid (3); and c) reacting homofarnesic acid (3) to homofarnesol (1),
wherein the configuration of the double bonds in the compounds 1, 2 and 3 is preserved.

There is provided a method for preparing homofarnesol (1), the method comprising the steps of: a) providing homofarnesylnitrile (2); b) reacting homofarnesylnitrile (2) to homofarnesic acid (3); and c) reacting homofarnesic acid (3) to homofarnesol (1),
wherein the configuration of the double bonds in the compounds 1, 2 and 3 is preserved.

There is disclosed a process for the production of dodecanedioic acid and 11-aminoundecanoic acid, comprising: (1) reacting castor oil with a primary or secondary amine to form a amide; (2) isomerizing the amide in the presence of a catalyst to form ketoamide; (3) reacting the ketoamide with hydroxylamine to form the oximeamide; (4) subjecting the oximeamide to Beckmann rearrangement to yield a mixture of two diamides; and (5) hydrolyzing the mixed diamides to produce dodecanedioic acid, 11-aminoundecanoic acid, hexylamine and heptanoic acid.

There is disclosed a process for the production of dodecanedioic acid and 11-aminoundecanoic acid, comprising: (1) reacting castor oil with a primary or secondary amine to form a amide; (2) isomerizing the amide in the presence of a catalyst to form ketoamide; (3) reacting the ketoamide with hydroxylamine to form the oximeamide; (4) subjecting the oximeamide to Beckmann rearrangement to yield a mixture of two diamides; and (5) hydrolyzing the mixed diamides to produce dodecanedioic acid, 11-aminoundecanoic acid, hexylamine and heptanoic acid.

There is disclosed a process for the production of dodecanedioic acid and 11-aminoundecanoic acid, comprising: (1) reacting castor oil with a primary or secondary amine to form a amide; (2) isomerizing the amide in the presence of a catalyst to form ketoamide; (3) reacting the ketoamide with hydroxylamine to form the oximeamide; (4) subjecting the oximeamide to Beckmann rearrangement to yield a mixture of two diamides; and (5) hydrolyzing the mixed diamides to produce dodecanedioic acid, 11-aminoundecanoic acid, hexylamine and heptanoic acid.

A method for preparing bio adipic acid includes steps of (a) preparing a glucaric acid potassium salt by mixing and reacting glucose, nitric acid (HNO.sub.3), sodium nitrite (NaNO.sub.2) and potassium hydroxide (KOH), (b) preparing glucamide from the glucaric acid potassium salt prepared in the step (a), (c) preparing 2,4-hexadiene diamide by performing a deoxydehydration reaction on the glucamide prepared in the step (b), (d) preparing adipamide by introducing the 2,4-hexadiene diamide prepared in the step (c), hydrogen and a hydrogenation catalyst to a reactor and performing a hydrogenation reaction, and (e) preparing adipic acid by introducing the adipamide prepared in the step (d) and an aqueous hydrochloric acid solution to a reactor and then performing a hydrolysis reaction at a specific temperature.

A method for preparing bio adipic acid includes steps of (a) preparing a glucaric acid potassium salt by mixing and reacting glucose, nitric acid (HNO.sub.3), sodium nitrite (NaNO.sub.2) and potassium hydroxide (KOH), (b) preparing glucamide from the glucaric acid potassium salt prepared in the step (a), (c) preparing 2,4-hexadiene diamide by performing a deoxydehydration reaction on the glucamide prepared in the step (b), (d) preparing adipamide by introducing the 2,4-hexadiene diamide prepared in the step (c), hydrogen and a hydrogenation catalyst to a reactor and performing a hydrogenation reaction, and (e) preparing adipic acid by introducing the adipamide prepared in the step (d) and an aqueous hydrochloric acid solution to a reactor and then performing a hydrolysis reaction at a specific temperature.