Process for the production of 1,4-butanediol and tetrahydrofuran from furan
View Patent ↗The present invention provides a process for the preparation of 1,4-butanediol and tetrahydrofuran said process comprising contacting furan with hydrogen and water in the presence of a supported catalytic composition comprising rhenium and palladium in a weight ratio of at least 1:1 and a total combined weight rhenium and palladium in the catalyst composition in the range of from 0.01 to 20 wt %.
1. A process for the preparation of 1,4-butanediol and tetrahydrofuran said process comprising contacting furan with hydrogen and water in the presence of a supported catalytic composition comprising rhenium and palladium in a weight ratio of rhenium to palladium of at least 1:1 and a total combined weight rhenium and palladium in the catalyst composition in the range of from 0.01 to 20 wt %.
2. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the support in the supported catalyst composition is selected from the group consisting of aluminas, titanium oxides, zirconium dioxides, mixtures thereof and carbon.
3. A process according to claim 1 , wherein rhenium and palladium are present in the supported catalyst composition in a weight ratio of rhenium to palladium of at least 5:1.
4. A process according to claim 2 , wherein rhenium and palladium are preferably present in the supported catalyst composition in a weight ratio of rhenium to palladium of at least 10:1.
5. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the total amount of rhenium and palladium on the catalyst is in the range of from 0.1 to 10 wt %.
6. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the furan is contacted with hydrogen in the liquid phase at a temperature in the range of from 25 to 250° C., a pressure of from 0.1 to 15 MPa and a H 2 :furan molar ratio in the range of from 0.2:1 to 100:1.
7. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the furan is contacted with hydrogen and water is co-fed at a water:furan molar ratio in the range of from 0.2:1 to 100:1, at a temperature in the range of from 100 to 350° C., a pressure of from 0.1 to 15 MPa and a H 2 :furan molar ratio in the range of from 0.2:1 to 100:1.