Hydroformylation of olefins
AssigneeUnion Carbide Corporation
InventorsRoy L. Pruett, James A. Smith
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Abstract
A hydroformylation process whereby rhodium complex catalyst and excess triorganophorus ligand are employed, under mild conditions of temperature and pressure, to produce aldehydic products rich in the normal isomer thereof, the improvement representing the introduction and/or recycling of the rhodium complex in active form and soluble in a complex mixture of high boiling liquid condensation products rich in hydroxylic compounds.
Claims10
In the process of hydroformylating alphaolefins of 2 to 20 carbon atoms to form aldehydes comprising feeding of such alpha-olefin, hydrogen and carbon monoxide to a liquid homogeneous medium at a temperature between about 50.degree. C. and 145.degree. C. which medium contains (i) a solvent therein, (ii) a catalytic amount of rhodium in complex combination with carbon monoxide and triphenylphosphine, (iii) an additional amount of triphenylphosphine such that there is present at least two moles of free triphenylphosphine per mole of rhodium in said medium and (iv) products of the hydroformylation reaction;
- the total pressure of carbon monoxide and hydrogen is less than 450 psia with a partial pressure attributable to carbon monoxide of no greater than about 75 percent of the total pressure;
- all of which is sufficient to produce said aldehydes, and recovering aldehydes from said medium;
- wherein the improvement comprises employing higher boiling aldehyde condensation products containing hydroxyl groups as the solvent in said medium.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.