A process for the preparation of the N-L-.alpha.-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester (aspartame) which is characterized by adding phosphoric acid and a lower alkyl alcohol to the reaction mixture containing N-formyl .alpha.-L-aspartyl- and .beta.-L-aspartyl-L-phenyl-alanine methyl ester and only one of the resultant deformylated isomers, i.e. aspartame phosphate precipitates. The .alpha.-isomer phosphate is collected by filtration and converted to free aspartame by treatment with a base.

A vapor phase process for selective conversion of fluorodichloromethane and carbon tetrachloride to fluorotrichloromethane, difluorodichloromethane, difluorochloromethane and chloroform by contacting a solid catalyst of an activated mixture of iron oxide and rare earth oxides.

In an ammonia synthesis process a nitrogen-hydrogen gas is reacted partially over a catalyst at a pressure in the range 30-120 bar abs, ammonia is separated as liquid after cooling the reacted synthesis gas and unreacted synthesis gas is recycled. The liquid ammonia is evaporated in heat exchange with reacted synthesis gas to provide the required cooling effect. Such heat exchange is effected using a heat exchange surface (as in a plate-fin heat exchanger) of at least 1.5 m.sup.2 per kg mol per ...

A compound of the formula, ##STR1## wherein R may be H or acyl; X may be H, acyl, or lower alkyl; Z may be H, hydroxy, or acyloxy; Y may be lower alkyl, aryl, alkyl substituted aryl or vinyl; and the non-toxic pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. This invention was made in the course of work performed under a grant from the United States National Heart Lung and Blood Institute.

High surface area alumina materials, which are particularly effective catalyst supports or carriers, are prepared by heating alumina monohydrate, alumina trihydrate or mixtures thereof from 450.degree.-500.degree. to at least 800.degree.F in the presence of excess elemental chlorine. The heating of the alumina material with elemental chlorine is conducted prior to said alumina material being heated to a temperature above about 450.degree.-500.degree.F in the absence of elemental chlorine. The al...

Dicyanoformamides having aromatic moieties as novel composition of matter are prepared by the reaction of a diisocyanate having an aromatic moiety with two (2) moles of hydrogen cyanide in the presence of a specially defined, hindered catalyst which will not promote further polymerization.

Cyclohexene is converted to 3,6-diacyloxycyclohexene by reaction with a C.sub.2 to C.sub.6 aliphatic acyclic saturated carboxylic acid and an organic hydroperoxide in the presence of a copper catalyst. The diacyloxycyclohexene is hydrolyzed to the corresponding dihydroxycyclohexene and dehydrogenated to hydroquinone. For example, with acetic acid the cyclohexene is converted to the 3,6-diacetoxycyclohexene which after hydrolysis and dehydrogenation gives hydroquinone.

Improved process and method of preparing carbon monofluorides; treating carbon of various forms with anhydrous hydrogen fluoride, removing free HF and impurities from the system with the inert gas, thereafter fluorinating the carbon with fluorine.

A plant for producing, eg ammonia or methanol by catalytic synthesis at superatmospheric temperature and pressure comprises a vessel equipped internally with all the high-temperature units required for the synthesis, namely means for heating synthesis gas to synthesis inlet temperature, admitting it to the catalyst, withdrawing it and cooling it. Preferably all the high-pressure units are also inside the vessel. The plant makes possible extremely high outputs of product, such as 8000 metric tons...

There is disclosed a novel total synthesis of thalicarpine which includes inter alia a total synthesis of hernandaline. The novel process is characterised in utilizing simple and readily available starting materials to form a diaryl ether system which is then condensed with a 3,4-dihydroisoquinolinium salt which is then converted to hernandaline. Hernandaline is reacted with a bicyclic Reissert compound to yield a compound having the thalicarpine skeleton, nascent hydrogen reduction yields N-mon...