Catalytic hydrogenation of esters of aromatic monocarboxylic acids to aryl-substituted methanols

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE REDUCTION OF AN ESTER OF AN AROMATIC MONOCARBOXYLIC ACID TO THE CORRESPONDING PRIMARY ALCOHOL WITHOUT SUBSTANTIAL REDUCTION OF THE CARBOXYL GROUP RESIDUE OF SAID ESTER IN A METHYL GROUP WHICH COMPRISES REDUCING WITH HYDROGEN AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF 70 TO 180*. AND A PRESSURE TO MAINTAIN A LIQUID PHASE AN AROMATIC COMPOUND OF THE FORMULA AR-COOR WHEREIN AR IS AN AROMATIC GROUP AND R IS AN ALKYL HYDROCARBON GROUP OF 1 TO 12 CARBON ATOMS IN THE PRESENCE OF A SOLID, COPPER-CONTAINING CATALYST CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF THE ELEMENTS COPPER, CHROMIUM AND MANGANESE IN THE RATIO OF 0.01 TO 1.0 ATOM OF CHROMIUM AND 0.01 TO 1.0 ATOM OF MANGANESE PER ATOM OF COPPER DERIVED FROM THE REDUCTION OF THE OXIDE FORM OF A MIXTURE CONTAINING SAID ELEMENTS IN SAID ATOM RATIOS AT A TEMPERATURE ABOVE 250*C. UP TO 350*C. UNTIL AT LEAST THE COPPER OXIDE IS REDUCED.