Catalyst and method for hydrogenating carbonyl compounds

• US 7,084,312 B1
• Filed: 08/22/2000
• Issued: 08/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BASF AG (BASF SE)
• Original Assignee: BASF AG (BASF SE)
• Inventors: Huber, Sylvia, Liang, Shelue, Kumberger, Otto, Hesse, Michael, Pinkos, Rolf, Breitscheidel, Boris, Walter, Marc, Wulff-Döring, Joachim, Sprague, Michael Jolyon
• Primary Examiner(s): Price, Elvis O.
• Application Number:
  US10/070,275
• Time in Patent Office: 2,170 Days
• Field of Search: 568/885, 568/862, 568/864, 568/861, 568/863, 568/876, 568/878, 568/880, 568/881, 568/884, 568/814, 568/830, 568/903
• US Class Current: 568/881
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/80 with zinc, cadmium or mercury
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 29/149 with hydrogen or hydrogen-containing gases
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 31/20 Dihydroxylic alcohols

Abstract

A process for the hydrogenation of an organic compound containing at least one carbonyl group comprises bringing the organic compound in the presence of hydrogen into contact with a shaped body which can be produced by a process in which

• • (i) an oxidic material comprising copper oxide, zinc oxide and aluminum oxide is made available,
  • (ii) pulverulent metallic copper or pulverulent cement or a mixture thereof is added to the oxidic material, and
  • (iii) the mixture resulting from (ii) is shaped to form a shaped body.

Claims

1. A process for the hydrogenation of an organic compound containing at least one carbonyl group, which comprises bringing the organic compound in the presence of hydrogen into contact with a shaped body which is produced by a process in which

(i) an oxidic material comprising copper oxide, zinc oxide and aluminum oxide is made available,

(ii) pulverulent metallic copper or pulverulent cement or a mixture thereof is added to the oxidic material, and

(iii) the mixture resulting from (ii) is shaped to form a shaped body.

2. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the oxidic material comprises

(a) copper oxide in a proportion x in the range from 60 to 80% by weight,

(b) zinc oxide in a proportion y in the range from 15 to 35% by weight, and

(c) aluminum oxide in a proportion z in the range from 2 to 20% by weight, in each case based on the total weight of the oxidic material after calcination, where x+y+z is in the range from 80 to 100% by weight, and cement is not included as part of the oxidic material in the above sense.

3. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pulverulent metallic copper or the pulverulent cement or the mixture thereof is added in an amount in the range from 1 to 40% by weight, based on the total weight of the oxidic material.

4. A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the particle size of the pulverulent copper and of the pulverulent cement is in the range from 0.1 to 100 μ

m.

5. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein graphite is added in an amount in the range from 0.5 to 5% by weight, based on the total weight of oxidic material, to the oxidic material or the mixture resulting from (II).

6. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the organic compound is a carboxylic acid, a carboxylic ester, a carboxylic anhydride or a lactone.

7. A process as claimed in claim 6, wherein the organic compound is adipic acid or an ester of adipic acid.