PROCESS FOR PREPARING TETRAHYDROFURAN Russian patent published in 1994 - IPC

FIELD: used as a solvent. SUBSTANCE: the product: tetrahydrofuran (THF) БФ C₄H₁₈O. Reagent 1: tetrahydrofuranol-3. Reagent 2: hydrogen. Hydrogenation conditions: 120 cm rod of 1.42 % palladium-on-carbon is placed into a tubular stainless steel reactor having a diameter of 2.5 cm, a length of 30 cm. A catalyst is reduced in a weak stream of hydrogen at 350 C for 2 hr. Tetrahydrofuranol-3- is allowed to pass at a volumetric flow rate of 0.1-0.2 h^-1 and hydrogen is allowed to pass at a volumetric flow rate of 35-150 h^-1 at 280-290 C. The catalysate is condensed in a steam refrigerator and cooled with a mixture of dry ice and acetone. The condensate is dried by magnesium sulfate and decanted by distillation to obtain 71 g of 99% purity tetrahydrofuran. This process makes it possible to increase the yield of THF to 94-99% and to simplify the production process by conducting a single-stage process at atmospheric pressure and using available tetrahydrofuranol-3. EFFECT: improved properties of tetrahydrofuran.