Transition metal complex hydroformylation catalyst precuror compositions comprising such compounds, and hydroformylation processes
AssigneeDow Technology Investments LLC
InventorChristophe R. Laroche
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present disclosure relates generally to transition metal complex hydroformylation catalytic precursor compositions, to hydroformylation processes, and to processes for separating one or more heavies from a hydroformylation reaction product fluid in hydroformylation processes comprising a metal-monophosphite ligand complex catalyst.
Claims14
A transition metal complex hydroformylation catalytic precursor composition consisting essentially of a solubilized Group VIII transition metal-monophosphite complex, an organic solvent, and free monophosphite ligand, wherein the monophosphite ligand of the metal-monophosphite complex and the free monophosphite ligand are each a compound the following formula:
- wherein R1-R4 are the same or different and each individually represent an hydrogen, a monovalent hydrocarbyl or substituted hydrocarbyl radical selected from alkyl, arylalkyl, and alicyclic radicals.
A process for separating one or more heavies from a hydroformylation reaction product fluid comprising a metal-monophosphite ligand complex catalyst, optionally free monophosphite ligand, one or more aldehyde products, and heavies, the process comprising:
- (a) hydroformylating a C6 to C40 mono-olefin with the metal-monophosphite ligand complex catalyst and optionally free monophosphite ligand in a reaction zone to provide a hydroformylation reaction product fluid, wherein the monophosphite ligand of the metal-monophosphite ligand complex catalyst is a compound according to the following formula:
- wherein R1-R4 are the same or different and each individually represent an hydrogen, a monovalent hydrocarbyl or substituted hydrocarbyl radical selected from alkyl, arylalkyl, and alicyclic radicals;
- (b) removing a portion of the hydroformylation reaction product fluid from the reaction zone and transferring the portion to a product/catalyst separation zone wherein a portion of the aldehyde products are vaporized as an overhead stream and wherein a non-volatilized catalyst fluid comprising the metal-monophosphite ligand complex catalyst is recovered as a bottoms stream;
- (c) mixing at least a portion of the bottoms stream obtained in step (b) in the presence of a nonpolar solvent and a polar solvent to obtain, by phase separation, two phases:
- a first phase comprising the polar solvent, the metal-monophosphite ligand complex catalyst and optionally free monophosphite ligand, and a second phase comprising the non-polar solvent, a portion of the heavies, and at least a portion of the remaining aldehyde products;
- and
- (d) recovering said metal-monophosphite ligand complex catalyst and at least a portion of any free monophosite ligand from the first phase and returning the recovered metal-monphosphite ligand complex catalyst and any recovered free monophosphite ligand to the reaction zone.
A hydroformylation process for producing aldehydes, the process comprising:
- reacting an olefinically unsaturated compound selected from the group consisting of alpha-olefins containing from 6 to 40 carbon atoms, internal olefins containing from 6 to 40 carbon atoms, and mixtures of such alpha and internal olefins with carbon monoxide and hydrogen in a reaction zone in the presence of a rhodium-monophosphite complex catalyst consisting essentially of rhodium complexed with carbon monoxide and at least one monophosphite ligand, wherein the at least one monophosphite ligand is a compound according to the following formula:
- wherein R1-R4 are the same or different and each individually represent an hydrogen, a monovalent hydrocarbyl or substituted hydrocarbyl radical selected from alkyl, arylalkyl, and alicyclic radicals.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.