Ethanol → Gamma-Butyrolactone

Participants

Reaction Steps

In the case when the C4+ hydrogenation feedstock is the crude maleic anhydride stream, then the light impurities are also hydrogenated in the hydrogenation step and result in light hydrogenation products including ethanol and propanol, which can be removed from the hydrogenation product as an overhead product by distillation. Heavy impurities and heavy impurity hydrogenation products can be separated by conventional distillation techniques as a bottom product from the crude hydrogenation product. Maleic anhydride derivatives, such as maleic acid and fumaric acid, are hydrogenated to form a corresponding additional amount of butane-1,4-diol, γ-butyrolactone, and tetrahydrofuran.

Provenance & Evidence