The present invention concerns a process for manufacturing a fraction comprising carboxylic acid anhydride by reaction of a fraction comprising carboxylic acid with a ketene, and the use of the fraction comprising carboxylic acid anhydride in a process for acylation of polysaccharides.

Disclosed is a method of purification of utilized acetylation fluid recovered from a process of acetylating wood. The method involves subjecting the recovered acetylation fluid to cooling crystallization. By this method terpene and terpenoid impurities are removed, as well as other impurities. Disclosed is also a method of acetylating wood resulting in acetylated wood and utilized acetylation fluid comprising acetic acid, and purifying the utilized acetylation fluid by cooling crystallization.

Disclosed is a method of purification of utilized acetylation fluid recovered from a process of acetylating wood. The method involves subjecting the recovered acetylation fluid to cooling crystallization. By this method terpene and terpenoid impurities are removed, as well as other impurities. Disclosed is also a method of acetylating wood resulting in acetylated wood and utilized acetylation fluid comprising acetic acid, and purifying the utilized acetylation fluid by cooling crystallization.

Provided is a method of producing an anhydride of an organic mono-acid comprising contacting an organic mono-acid and a thermally regenerable anhydride to produce the anhydride of the organic mono-acid, and either a diacid of the regenerable anhydride, a partially hydrolyzed regenerable anhydride, or both. In a particular example, acetic acid and glutaric anhydride can be reacted to form acetic anhydride.

Provided is a method of producing an anhydride of an organic mono-acid comprising contacting an organic mono-acid and a thermally regenerable anhydride to produce the anhydride of the organic mono-acid, and either a diacid of the regenerable anhydride, a partially hydrolyzed regenerable anhydride, or both. In a particular example, acetic acid and glutaric anhydride can be reacted to form acetic anhydride.

Salts of hexylamine, for example, hexylamine succinate and tri-hexylamine citrate and their method of production are described. The disclosure also relates to compositions comprising hexyalmine, for example, for reducing appetite in a human subject, treating obesity in a human subject, preventing obesity in a human subject, preventing weight gain in a human subject, increasing fat loss in a human subject, treating an overweight human subject, increasing athletic performance in a human subject, increasing endurance in a human subject, increasing muscle strength in a human subject, improving cognitive function in a human subject, treating ADHD in a human subject, increasing sweating in a human subject, reducing reaction time of a human subject, increasing psychomotor vigilance of a human subject, enhancing memory in a human subject, increasing central nervous system activity in a human subject, and enhancing alertness, attention, concentration, and/or memory in a human subject.

Salts of hexylamine, for example, hexylamine succinate and tri-hexylamine citrate and their method of production are described. The disclosure also relates to compositions comprising hexyalmine, for example, for reducing appetite in a human subject, treating obesity in a human subject, preventing obesity in a human subject, preventing weight gain in a human subject, increasing fat loss in a human subject, treating an overweight human subject, increasing athletic performance in a human subject, increasing endurance in a human subject, increasing muscle strength in a human subject, improving cognitive function in a human subject, treating ADHD in a human subject, increasing sweating in a human subject, reducing reaction time of a human subject, increasing psychomotor vigilance of a human subject, enhancing memory in a human subject, increasing central nervous system activity in a human subject, and enhancing alertness, attention, concentration, and/or memory in a human subject.

The present invention provides a method for preparing acrylic acid and methyl acrylate. The method comprises passing the feed gas containing dimethoxymethane and carbon monoxide through a solid acid catalyst to generate acrylic acid and methyl acrylate with a high conversion rate and selectivity at a reaction temperature in a range from 180 to 400 and a reaction pressure in a range from 0.1 MPa to 15.0 MPa, the mass space velocity of dimethoxymethane in the feed gas is in a range from 0.05 h.sup.−1 to 10.0 h.sup.−1, and the volume percentage of dimethoxymethane in the feed gas is in a range from 0.1% to 95%.

The present invention provides a method for preparing acrylic acid and methyl acrylate. The method comprises passing the feed gas containing dimethoxymethane and carbon monoxide through a solid acid catalyst to generate acrylic acid and methyl acrylate with a high conversion rate and selectivity at a reaction temperature in a range from 180 to 400 and a reaction pressure in a range from 0.1 MPa to 15.0 MPa, the mass space velocity of dimethoxymethane in the feed gas is in a range from 0.05 h.sup.−1 to 10.0 h.sup.−1, and the volume percentage of dimethoxymethane in the feed gas is in a range from 0.1% to 95%.

An object is to provide a method for producing a ketene derivative that decreases the consumption quantity of phosphorus compounds, and the discharge quantity of the phosphorus compounds into the environment.

A method for producing a ketene derivative includes a step (i) of conducting thermal decomposition reaction of acetic acid in a presence of a phosphorus-containing catalyst in a reactor to produce a thermal decomposition gas containing ketene, a step (ii) of cooling the thermal decomposition gas to be separated into a gaseous component containing ketene, and a condensed liquid containing a phosphorus compound (a), and a step (iii) of causing the ketene to react with a different organic compound to produce a ketene derivative. The step (i) includes conducting the thermal decomposition reaction while supplying, into the reactor, the condensed liquid containing the phosphorus compound (a) or a concentrated liquid of the condensed liquid.