Process for the manufacture of resorcinols from .delta.-ketocarboxylic acid esters

US4250336A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Hoechst GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Werner Muller · East Greenwich, US
• Karl E. Mack · Wiesbaden, DE
• Hansjorg Hey · Hofheim, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 6, 1979
• Grant date: Feb 10, 1981
• Expiry date: Jun 6, 1999

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02P20/584
• WIPO field: Organic fine chemistry
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

Resorcinols are prepared by converting .delta.-ketocarboxylic acid esters in the gaseous phase at a temperature from 250.degree. to 500.degree. C. in the presence of hydrogen at a catalyst. The catalyst consists of two components which are prepared separately and combined thereafter. The first component contains at least one compound of a metal of group VIII and/or at least one compound of a metal of group I B supported on one or several carrier materials. The second component contains at least one compound of a metal of group II A and/or IV A and/or III B and/or IV B supported on one or several carrier materials. A particularly preferred catalyst consists of a mixture of equal volume parts of platinum/charcoal as first component and of thorium/charcoal as second component.