Process for regeneration of rhodium hydroformylation catalysts

Abstract

Rhodium hydroformylation catalysts are regenerated by a novel process which includes the steps of removing the catalyst to be regenerated from the hydroformylation reaction, adjusting the aldehyde contents of the catalyst containing stream so as to have at least one mole of aldehyde present per mole of rhodium and ligand present in the catalyst, treating the aldehyde containing catalyst stream with oxygen or oxygen containing gas at a temperature less than the boiling point of the aldehyde, removing any solid material formed during the oxidation and adjusting the ligand to rhodium ratio as required for use in the hydroformylation reaction.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.