Patent ID: 8115043

Claim:
A method for producing a cyclic olefin compound having two or more cyclohexene rings per molecule via intramolecular dehydration of an alicyclic alcohol having two or more hydroxylated cyclohexane rings per molecule, the method comprising the step (i) of heating the alicyclic alcohol at a temperature of from 130° C. to 230° C. and a pressure greater than 20 Torr (2.67 kPa) in an organic solvent in the presence of a dehydration catalyst to carry out dehydration of the alicyclic alcohol while distilling off by-product water, the dehydration catalyst being liquid or soluble in a liquid reaction mixture under the reaction conditions; and the subsequent step (ii) of heating the resulting reaction mixture at a temperature of from 50° C. to 220° C. and a pressure of 200 Torr (26.7 kPa) or less to recover the cyclic olefin compound as a distillate, wherein the dehydration in the step (i) is carried out by intermittently or continuously adding the alicyclic alcohol to the organic solvent at a pressure greater than 20 Torr (2.67 kPa) while distilling off by-product water, in which the organic solvent is heated at a temperature of from 130° C. to 230° C. and is coexistent with the dehydration catalyst that is liquid or soluble in a liquid reaction mixture under the reaction conditions, and wherein the dehydration catalyst that is liquid or soluble in a liquid reaction mixture under the reaction conditions is a fully neutralized salt or partially neutralized salt of a sulfonic acid with an organic base, a fully neutralized salt or partially neutralized salt of sulfuric acid with an organic base, or mixtures thereof with sulfuric acid.