Production of aromatic hydrocarbons by catalytic isomerization of 2:5 dimethylhex-3-yne-1:5 diene

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF HYDROCARBON MIXTURES CONTAINING P-XYLENE IN THE SUBSTANTIAL ABSENCE OF OTHER XYLENE ISOMERS FROM READILY AVAILABLE RAW MATERIAL WHICH COMPRISES CONDENSING ACETONE AND ACETYLENE TO YIELD 2:5-DIMETHYLHEX-3YNE-2:5-DIOL, DEHYDRATING THIS DIOL TO GIVE 2:5-DIMENTHYLHEX-3-YNE-1:5-DIENE, CONTACTING SAID DIENE IN THE VAPOR PHASE AT A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF FROM 300* TO 600* C. WITH A CATALYST CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF EFFECTIVE AMOUNTS OF AN ALUMINA-CONTAINING CATALYST SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALUMINA, ALUMINA SILICA GELS, FLUORINATED ALUMINA, FLUORINATED MIXTURES OF ALUMINA WITH THORIA, FLUORINATED MIXTURES OF ALUMINA WITH BERYLLIA, FLUORINATED MIXTURES OF ALUMINA WITH ZIRCONIA, FLUORINATED MIXTURES OF ALUMINA WITH TITANIA, AND ALUMINA WITH CHROMIC OXIDE, AND REMOVING THE MIXTURE OF XYLENES SO PRODUCED TO THEREBY OBTAIN P-XYLENE IN THE SUBSTANTIAL ABSENCE OF OTHER XYLENE ISOMERS.