PURPOSE: To obtain a high-purity aromatic polyhydric alcohol in high yield under industrially advantageous conditions.
CONSTITUTION: An aromatic polyhydric alcohol (e.g. p-xylylene glycol) can be obtained by catalytic hydrogenolysis of an aromatic polycarboxylic ester composed of an aromatic polycarboxylic acid as acid component and a 3-10C monohydric alcohol having alicyclic structure (e.g. cyclopentanol, methylcyclohexanol, octahydro-4,7-methanoinden-5-ol) as alcohol component in the presence of at least one kind of mixed catalyst selected from copper, zinc, copper-chromium, zinc-copper-chromium and oxides thereof. By this method, the raw material ester can be provided with good convertibility and selectivity and the durability of the catalyst can significantly be improved, thus reducing its consumption.
OSADA MANABU
NAKAZAWA MIKIRO
