Patent ID: 8013192

Claim:
A process for preparing a 1,3-alkanediol from a 3-hydroxyaldehyde, comprising providing a mixture of a 3-hydroxyaldehyde in an organic solvent; extracting into an aqueous liquid a major portion of the 3-hydroxyaldehyde to provide an aqueous phase comprising the 3-hydroxyaldehyde in greater concentration than the concentration of the 3-hydroxyaldehyde in the 3-hydroxyaldehyde mixture, and an organic phase; separating the aqueous phase from the organic phase; contacting the aqueous phase with hydrogen in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst to provide a hydrogenation product mixture comprising a 1,3-alkanediol and water; separating water from the 1,3-alkanediol using a multi-effect evaporation scheme; recycling water containing 50 wt % or less of the 1,3-alkanediol based upon the total amount of 1,3-alkanediol and water to the extraction stage; and recovering the 1,3-alkanediol.