Process for butynediol

Claim 1

A CONTINUOUS CYCLIC PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF BUTYNEDIOL WHICH COMPRISES: (A) CONTINUOUSLY PASSING FORMALDEYHYDE AND ACETYLENE THROUGH A REACTION ZONE AT A PRESSURE OF 75 TO 125 P.S.I.G. AND AT A TEMPERATURE OF 115 TO 135*C. CONCURRENTLY WITH CUPROUS ACETYLIDE CATALYST SUPPORTED ON A CARRIER OF A SIZE TO PASS THROUGH 300 MESH IN AN AQUEOUS SLURRY; (B) CONTINUOUSLY DISCHARGING SAID CATALYST FROM SAID ZONE AS A SLURRY IN THE REACTION PRODUCT, WITH A CATALYST RETENTION TIME IN THE REACTOR RANGING FROM 0.25 TO 5 HOURS; (C) CENTRIFUGING IN A SOLID BOWL CENTRIFUGE SAID SLURRY OF SAID CATALYST IN THE REACTION PRODUCE AT AT LEAST 960 TIMES THE GRAVITATIONAL ACCELERATION TO SEPARATE SAID CATALYST FROM THE COMPONENT LIQUID PHASES OF THE REACTION PRODUCT AND AN AQUEOUS PRODUCT PHASE, SAID PHASES BEING MUTUALLY INSOLUBLE, SAID ORGANICBY-PRODUCT PHASE CONTAINING SOLUBLE CUPRENE AND BEING LESS DENSE THAN SAID AQUEOUS PRODUCT PHASE AND SAID CATALYST: (D) RECYCLING SAID CATALYST FOR COMMINGLING WITH THE FEED STREAM OF FRESH ACETYLENE AND FORMALDEHYDE TO THE REACTOR; AND (E) RECOVERING BUTYNEDIOL BY FRACTIONAL DISTILLATION OF SAID LIQUID PHASES SEPARATED FROM SAID CATALYST.