PATENTS

      1630.  ------.  [IMPERIAL CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES, LTD.]  Production of Higher Alcohols.  British Patent 371,804.  May 26, 1932: appl. filed Oct. 23. 1930.  Chem. Zentralb., 1933. I. p. 1683.

            Mixtures of H₂ and CO, containing at most 10 col. % of the latter and in which <1 vol. of CO is present to 5 vol. of H₂, are passed at temperatures >300º and at pressures of at least 100 atm. over alcohol-forming catalysts at such a speed that in the reaction gases after the catalysis the content of CO does not exceed 8 vol. % and amounts preferably to not more than 2-4 vol. %.  Suitable catalysts are those that consist of 1 or more metal oxides difficult to reduce and a relatively small amount of an alkali metal oxide: the best results are obtained with catalysts that contain Mn oxide.