DE2713434

• Main Authors: KASCHA, WALDEMAR, 4200 OBERHAUSEN, TUMMES, HANS. DR, CORNILS, BOY- . DR., 4220 DINSLAKEN, NOESKE, HEINZ. DR
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 23.10.1980
• Edition: 3
• Subjects: ACYCLIC OR CARBOCYCLIC COMPOUNDS; CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY; ORGANIC CHEMISTRY

An improvement in a process for the manufacture of 2-ethylhexanol wherein n-butyraldehyde is subjected to aldol condensation, the resultant aldol condensation product is catalytically hydrogenated in a hydrogenation stage and the hydrogenation product is subjected to two separate multiple stage distillations to separate, in the first case the first runnings, a fraction containing the main amount of 2-ethylhexanol, and the residue. In the second case this residue is separated into a 2-ethylhexanol fraction and a distillation residue, the improvement residing in cracking the distillation residue by heating the same at 200 to 250 DEG C whereby to obtain cracked products comprising n-butanal, 2-ethylhexenal, 2-ethylhexanal, and/or 2-ethylhexanol together with non-cracked higher boiling substances. The cracked products are separated from the non-cracked products and the cracked products are recycled to the hydrogenation stage.