Catalytic conversion of oxygenated organic compound mixtures

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR INCREASING THE PROPORTION OF AT LEAST ONE OF THE CLASSES OF COMPOUNDS DESIGNATED AS ALCOHOLS AND KETONES PRESENT IN A DILUTE AQUEOUS MIXTURE OF ALDEHYDES AND CARBOXYLIC ACIDS, WHICH COMPRISES CONTACTING SAID MIXTURE WITH A HYDROCARBON SYNTHESIS CATALYST IN THE PRESENCE OF A GAS CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF HYDROGEN AT PRESSURES WHICH VARY FROM ABOUT 15 TO ABOUT 100 P. S. I. AND AT TEMPERATURES OF FROM ABOUT 125* TO ABOUT 175* C., WHERE IT IS DESIRED TO INCREASE THE PROPORTION OF KETONES, TO A PRESSURE OF AT LEAST ABOUT 200 P. S. I. WITHIN THE ABOVE-RECITED TEMPERATURE RANGE WHERE IT IS DESIRED TO INCREASE THE QUANTITY OF ALCOHOLS, WHEREBY IN ACCOMPLISHING THE AFORESAID RESULTS FROM ABOUT 25 TO ABOUT 95 PER CENT OF THE ACIDS PRESENT IN SAID MIXTURE ARE CONVERTED INTO AT LEAST ONE OF SAID CLASSES OF COMPOUNDS, AND RECOVERING A MIXTURE IN WHICH AT LEAST ONE OF THE CLASSES OF COMPOUNDS DESIGNATED AS ALCOHOLS AND KETONES IS PRESENT IN INCREASED RATIO TO THE ALDEHYDES AND ACIDS ORIGINALLY PRESENT IN SAID AQUEOUS MIXTURE.