Patent ID: 8410317

Claim:
A process for the preparation of 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol, comprising: (i). contacting bis(4-methylcyclohexyl)methyl)terephthalate with hydrogen in a first hydrogenation zone in the presence of a catalyst effective for hydrogenation of an aromatic ring to produce a liquid effluent comprising bis(4-methylcyclohexyl)methyl)cyclohexane-1,4-dicarboxylate; (ii) contacting the effluent from the first hydrogenation zone with hydrogen in the presence of an ester hydrogenation catalyst in a second hydrogenation zone to produce a hydrogenation product comprising 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol, 4,4′-oxybis(methylene)bis(methylcyclohexane), and (4-methylcyclohexyl)methanol; (iii). distilling the hydrogenation product from step (ii) to recover a distillate comprising a majority of the (4-methylcyclohexyl)methanol in the hydrogenation product and a distillation bottoms comprising a majority of the 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol, and 4,4′-oxybis(methylene)bis(methylcyclohexane) in the hydrogenation product; (iv). allowing the distillation bottoms to form a lower layer comprising a majority of the 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol in the distillation bottoms and a upper layer comprising a majority of the 4,4′-oxybis(methylene)-bis(methylcyclohexane) in the distillation bottoms; and (v). separating the upper and lower layers of step (iv) and recovering the 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol from the lower layer by distillation.