PRODUCTION OF KETONES

PURPOSE:To obtain a ketone such as acetone useful as a raw material or solvent in chemical industry at one stage readily, in high yield, industrially and advantageously, by reacting propylene, etc. with water by using a specific zeolite as a catalyst. CONSTITUTION:Propylene and/or normal butenes and water are subjected to contact reaction in a gas phase by using Y type zeolite shown by the formula (a=1.0+ or -0.3; b=2.5-6.0) in a molar ratio of oxide in a state synthesized as it is in the feed ratio of H2O/C3H6(C4H8) of 0.1-10mol./mol. at 50-300 deg.C to give a ketone such as acetone industrially useful as a raw material for polymethyl methacrylate, etc. The Y type zeolite is a kind of synthetic faujasite and is readily obtainable since the Y type zeolite is mass produced as a catalyst for fluid catalytic cracking of hydrocarbon. US-Y obtained by ammonium substitution and then calcination under steam is usable.