Provided is a high-purity 1,3-butylene glycol product that is odorless and is unlikely to cause acid concentration increase over time in a state containing water. A 1,3-butylene glycol product, having, according to a gas chromatographic analysis performed under predetermined conditions, a peak area ratio of 100 ppm or lower appearing in a relative retention time ranging from 1.35 to 1.45, provided that the relative retention time for a peak of 1,3-butylene glycol is 1.0.

Processes for converting a hydrocarbon reactant into an alcohol compound and/or a carbonyl compound are disclosed, and these processes include the steps of forming a supported chromium catalyst comprising chromium in a hexavalent oxidation state, irradiating the hydrocarbon reactant and the supported chromium catalyst with a light beam at a wavelength in the UV-visible spectrum to reduce at least a portion of the supported chromium catalyst to form a reduced chromium catalyst, and hydrolyzing the reduced chromium catalyst to form a reaction product comprising the alcohol compound and/or the carbonyl compound. The supported chromium catalyst can be formed by heat treating a supported chromium precursor, contacting a chromium precursor with a solid support while heat treating, or heat treating a solid support and then contacting a chromium precursor with the solid support.

Processes for converting a hydrocarbon reactant into an alcohol compound and/or a carbonyl compound are disclosed, and these processes include the steps of forming a supported chromium catalyst comprising chromium in a hexavalent oxidation state, irradiating the hydrocarbon reactant and the supported chromium catalyst with a light beam at a wavelength in the UV-visible spectrum to reduce at least a portion of the supported chromium catalyst to form a reduced chromium catalyst, and hydrolyzing the reduced chromium catalyst to form a reaction product comprising the alcohol compound and/or the carbonyl compound. The supported chromium catalyst can be formed by heat treating a supported chromium precursor, contacting a chromium precursor with a solid support while heat treating, or heat treating a solid support and then contacting a chromium precursor with the solid support.

Processes for converting a hydrocarbon reactant into an alcohol compound and/or a carbonyl compound are disclosed, and these processes include the steps of forming a supported chromium catalyst comprising chromium in a hexavalent oxidation state, irradiating the hydrocarbon reactant and the supported chromium catalyst with a light beam at a wavelength in the UV-visible spectrum to reduce at least a portion of the supported chromium catalyst to form a reduced chromium catalyst, and hydrolyzing the reduced chromium catalyst to form a reaction product comprising the alcohol compound and/or the carbonyl compound. The supported chromium catalyst can be formed by heat treating a supported chromium precursor, contacting a chromium precursor with a solid support while heat treating, or heat treating a solid support and then contacting a chromium precursor with the solid support.

Provided is a method for preparing a diol. In the method, a saccharide and hydrogen as raw materials are contacted with a catalyst in water to prepare the diol. The employed catalyst is a composite catalyst comprised of a main catalyst and a cocatalyst, wherein the main catalyst is a water-insoluble acid-resistant alloy; and the cocatalyst is a soluble tungstate and/or soluble tungsten compound. The method uses an acid-resistant, inexpensive and stable alloy needless of a support as a main catalyst, and can guarantee a high yield of the diol in the case where the production cost is relatively low.

Suggested is a cosmetic or pharmaceutical or detergent composition comprising 1,2 pentanediol, wherein said 1,2-pentanediol is obtained from a process comprising the following steps: (a) providing at least one starting material selected from furfuryl alcohol and furfural; (b) reacting at least one of said starting materials with hydrogen in the presence of a heterogeneous catalyst to form 1,2-pentanediol, wherein said heterogeneous catalyst comprises: one or more metals selected from the group consisting of platinum, rhodium, ruthenium, nickel, palladium and iridium in metallic form and/or one or more compounds of metals selected from the group consisting of platinum, rhodium, ruthenium, nickel, palladium and iridium; and one or more support materials selected from the group consisting of activated carbon, aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, and silicon carbide; and (c) removing the 1,2-pentanediol thus obtained from the reaction mixture.

Suggested is a cosmetic or pharmaceutical or detergent composition comprising 1,2 pentanediol, wherein said 1,2-pentanediol is obtained from a process comprising the following steps: (a) providing at least one starting material selected from furfuryl alcohol and furfural; (b) reacting at least one of said starting materials with hydrogen in the presence of a heterogeneous catalyst to form 1,2-pentanediol, wherein said heterogeneous catalyst comprises: one or more metals selected from the group consisting of platinum, rhodium, ruthenium, nickel, palladium and iridium in metallic form and/or one or more compounds of metals selected from the group consisting of platinum, rhodium, ruthenium, nickel, palladium and iridium; and one or more support materials selected from the group consisting of activated carbon, aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, and silicon carbide; and (c) removing the 1,2-pentanediol thus obtained from the reaction mixture.

A method of recovering an alcohol from an aqueous stream comprising: providing an aqueous stream comprising an alcohol; extracting at least a portion of the alcohol from the aqueous stream with a solvent to form an extracted solvent stream; extracting at least a portion of the solvent from the extracted solvent stream to form an extracted aqueous stream; and recovering at least a portion of the alcohol from the extracted aqueous stream.

A method of recovering an alcohol from an aqueous stream comprising: providing an aqueous stream comprising an alcohol; extracting at least a portion of the alcohol from the aqueous stream with a solvent to form an extracted solvent stream; extracting at least a portion of the solvent from the extracted solvent stream to form an extracted aqueous stream; and recovering at least a portion of the alcohol from the extracted aqueous stream.

A process is described for making a biobased propylene glycol product at least in part from a carbohydrate-derived feed, wherein a feed comprised of a lactic acid ester is reacted with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst, in a nonaqueous solvent in which lactide may be essentially wholly solubilized at the conditions under which the reaction is carried out, so that lactide does not precipitate out to an extent whereby plugging of the reactor or fouling of the hydrogenation catalyst is observed.