Patent ID: 6916964

Claim:
A process for selective hydrogenation of α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds of the general formula I where R 1 and R 2 are identical or different and are each independently hydrogen or a singly or multiply unsaturated straight chain or branched substituted or unsubstituted C 1 -C 20 -alkyl radical, an unsubstituted or substituted aryl radical or an unsubstituted or substituted heterocyclic group, and R 3 is hydrogen or C 1 -C 4 -alkyl, together with corresponding unsaturated alcohols of general formula II where R 1 , R 2 and R 3 are each as defined above, in a reactor containing, in the absence or presence of a gas phase, a liquid phase holding at least one catalyst in suspension, which comprises passing the liquid phase and, if present, the gas phase through a device in the reactor having openings or channels whose hydraulic diameter is in the range from 0.5 to 20 mm.