Hydroformylation processes

A continuous hydroformylation process comprising

• (a) contacting CO, H2, and at least one olefin in the presence of a hydroformylation catalyst in a reaction fluid in at least two reaction zones under hydroformylation conditions sufficient to form at least one aldehyde product, wherein the hydroformylation catalyst comprises a catalytic metal and a ligand and wherein a reaction temperature in the first reaction zone is controlled using a first heat exchanger;
• and
• (b) recovering at least a portion of the hydroformylation catalyst from a product stream and recycling at least a portion of the recovered hydroformylation catalyst through the first reaction zone;
• wherein the heat evolution in the first reaction zone is reduced by reducing the reaction rate in the first reaction zone and increasing the reaction rate in a downstream reaction zone to insure sufficient heat removal capacity remains on the heat exchanger in the first reaction zone to insure stable control of the reaction at a target reaction temperature by:
• (1) diverting a portion of an olefin feed stream to a reaction zone downstream from the first reaction zone and changing the olefin partial pressure pressure in the first reaction zone by adjusting the amount of the olefin feed stream that is diverted;
• and/or (2) diverting a portion of the recycled hydroformylation catalyst to a reaction zone downstream from the first reaction zone and changing the concentration of the catalytic metal in the first reaction zone by adjusting the amount of the recycled hydroformylation catalyst that is diverted.