Patent ID: 8071823

Claim:
A process for making a reaction product comprising 1-butanol, comprising: contacting a reactant comprising ethanol and hydrogen with a catalyst at a reaction temperature and pressure sufficient to produce said reaction product, wherein said catalyst is derived from a hydrotalcite of the formula: [[M 2+ 1-x M 3+ x (OH) 2 )(A nâˆ’ x/n )]. y H 2 O][Mâ€²Aâ€²] z wherein M 2+ is divalent Mg, or a combination of Mg and at least one divalent member selected from the group consisting of Pd, Pt, Co and Cu; M 3+ is trivalent Al, or a combination of trivalent Al and at least one trivalent member selected from the group consisting of Fe and Cr; x is 0.66 to 0.1; A nâˆ’ is CO 3 2âˆ’ with n=2, or OH âˆ’ with n=1; Mâ€²Aâ€² is a carbonate of at least one divalent metal Mâ€² selected from the group consisting of Pd, Pt, Co and Cu; and Aâ€² is carbonate; z is any number between 0.001 and 0.5 inclusive; and y is 0 to 4, by a process comprising heating the hydrotalcite for a time and at a temperature sufficient to cause a diminution in the hydrotalcite powder X-ray diffraction pattern peak intensities between 2Î¸ angles of 10 degrees and 70 degrees using CuKÎ± radiation.