Preparation of alcohols

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PREPARING 3,5,5-TRIMETHYLHEXANOL-1 BY HYDROGENATING 3,5,5-TRIMETHYLHEXANAL IN THE VAPOR PHASE, WHICH COMPRISES VAPORIZING THE 3,5,5-TRIMETHYLHEXANAL BY PASSING IT DOWN INTO A VAPORIZATION ZONE, AT THE SAME TIME PASSING UP INTO SAID ZONE FROM 15 TO 60 MOLS OF HYDROGEN PER MOLE OF 3,5,5-TRIMETHYLHEXANAL INTRODUCED, CONTROLLING THE CONCENTRATION OF 3,5,5-TRIMETHYLHEXANAL IN THE VAPOR PHASE BY CONTROLLING THE AMOUNT OF HEATING PROVIDED TO THE VAPORIZATION ZONE, AND THEN PASSING THE VAPOROUS MIXTURE THUS OBTAINED, AT A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF FROM 150* TO 250* C., AT A PRESSURE OF FROM 200 TO 600 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH GAUGE, AND AT A SPACE VELOCITY OF FROM 4,000 TO 30,000 VOLUMES OF GAS PER VOLUME OF CATALYST PER HOUR, OVER A CATALYST COMPRISING REDUCED COPPER PLUS ZINC OXIDE.