A process for the preparation of an alkylene glycol from an alkene comprising steps of: a) supplying a gas composition to an alkylene oxide absorber through a gas inlet, the absorber comprising an absorption section and a sump, and allowing the gas composition to pass upwards; b) supplying a lean absorbent to the top of the absorption section and allowing the lean absorbent to pass downwards; c) intimately contacting the gas composition with lean absorbent in the absorption section in the presence of one or more catalysts that promote carboxylation and hydrolysis; and d) withdrawing fat absorbent from the absorption section and passing the fat absorbent and any liquid condensate through the sump, wherein the sump comprises one or more baffles that define a flow pathway from a sump inlet to a sump outlet between the one or more baffles.

A catalyst includes a carrier, and a metal obtained by reducing a metal ion supported on the carrier 1) in a supercritical state or 2) in a polar organic solvent, wherein the carrier is an inorganic porous body having a hierarchical porous structure. By employing the catalyst, it is possible to exhibit better catalytic activity than a conventional catalyst. Heat generation and spontaneous ignition are prevented because no organic porous body is used.

A catalyst includes a carrier, and a metal obtained by reducing a metal ion supported on the carrier 1) in a supercritical state or 2) in a polar organic solvent, wherein the carrier is an inorganic porous body having a hierarchical porous structure. By employing the catalyst, it is possible to exhibit better catalytic activity than a conventional catalyst. Heat generation and spontaneous ignition are prevented because no organic porous body is used.

The present invention relates to a 6-hydroxy-3-hexenyl alkoxymethyl ether compound of the following general formula (1): HOCH.sub.2CH.sub.2CH=CHCH.sub.2CH.sub.2OCH.sub.2OCH.sub.2R.sup.1 (1), R.sup.1 representing a hydrogen atom, an n-alkyl group having 1 to 9 carbon atoms, or a phenyl group; and also relates to a process for preparing a 3,13-octadecadien-1-ol compound of the following formula (6): CH.sub.3(CH.sub.2).sub.3CH=CH(CH.sub.2).sub.8CH=CHCH.sub.2CH.sub.2OH (6) from the 6-hydroxy-3-hexenyl alkoxymethyl ether compound (1).

The present invention relates to a 6-hydroxy-3-hexenyl alkoxymethyl ether compound of the following general formula (1): HOCH.sub.2CH.sub.2CH=CHCH.sub.2CH.sub.2OCH.sub.2OCH.sub.2R.sup.1 (1), R.sup.1 representing a hydrogen atom, an n-alkyl group having 1 to 9 carbon atoms, or a phenyl group; and also relates to a process for preparing a 3,13-octadecadien-1-ol compound of the following formula (6): CH.sub.3(CH.sub.2).sub.3CH=CH(CH.sub.2).sub.8CH=CHCH.sub.2CH.sub.2OH (6) from the 6-hydroxy-3-hexenyl alkoxymethyl ether compound (1).

The present invention relates to a process for recycling polyacetal containing from 8 to 100,000 carbon atoms for the production of a produced polyoxymethylene dialkyl ether of formula R—(OCH2)n-OR′, in which R and R′ independently represent a methyl group or an ethyl group and n is an integer greater than or equal to 1, the process comprising a step of reacting an acid catalyst with a mixture comprising a polyacetal containing from 8 to 100 000 carbon atoms, a reactive polyoxymethylene dialkyl ether of formula R—(OCH2)k-OR′ in which k is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and optionally a solvent.

The present invention relates to a process for recycling polyacetal containing from 8 to 100,000 carbon atoms for the production of a produced polyoxymethylene dialkyl ether of formula R—(OCH2)n-OR′, in which R and R′ independently represent a methyl group or an ethyl group and n is an integer greater than or equal to 1, the process comprising a step of reacting an acid catalyst with a mixture comprising a polyacetal containing from 8 to 100 000 carbon atoms, a reactive polyoxymethylene dialkyl ether of formula R—(OCH2)k-OR′ in which k is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and optionally a solvent.

The invention relates to a process for the preparation of ethylene glycol from ethylene, which comprises contacting the carbon dioxide stream resulting from hydrolysing ethylene carbonate, or the condensate stream resulting from condensing said carbon dioxide stream, or the waste water stream resulting from removing water from the ethylene glycol stream, such stream comprising water, 2-chloroethanol and ethylene glycol and additionally comprising 2-iodoethanol or 2-bromoethanol, with an alkali metal containing basic compound to form a mixture comprising water, 2-chloroethanol and ethylene glycol and additionally comprising alkali metal iodide or alkali metal bromide which mixture is dehydrated.

A general and controlled method for synthesizing amorphous Pd-based nanoparticles is provided. The provided method comprises: dissolving a Pd precursor in a first solvent to form a first solution; mixing the first solution with a second solvent to form a first mixture; adding surfactant into the first mixture to form a second mixture; heating the second mixture to render a second solution; adding other metal precursor into the second solution to form a third mixture; heating the third mixture to render a third solution; naturally cooling down the third solution; adding ethanol to the third solution to form a fourth solution; and collecting the amorphous Pd-based nanoparticles from the fourth solution. The provided method allows tuning of the phase of Pd-based nanoparticles to obtain amorphous Pd-based nanocatalysts to efficiently switch the ring-opening route of epoxides for the synthesis of distinct targeted chemicals and modulating of the catalytic performance thereof in electrochemical hydrogen emission reactions.

The present invention relates to a haloalkenyl alkoxymethyl ether compound of the following general formula (1): R.sup.1CH.sub.2OCH.sub.2OCH.sub.2CH.sub.2CH═CH(CH.sub.2).sub.aX.sup.1 (1) wherein R.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom, an n-alkyl group having 1 to 9 carbon atoms, or a phenyl group, X.sup.1 represents a halogen atom, and “a” represents an integer of 3 to 14. The present invention also relates to processes for preparing a terminal conjugated alkadien-1-yl acetate compound of the following general formula (5): CH.sub.2═CHCH═CH(CH.sub.2).sub.aOAc (5) wherein “a” is as defined above, and Ac represents an acetyl group, and a terminal conjugated alkadien-1-ol compound of the following general formula (6): CH.sub.2═CHCH═CH(CH.sub.2).sub.aOH (6) wherein “a” is as defined above, from the haloalkenyl alkoxymethyl ether compound (1).