# US 4,400,549 A · Hydroformylation of olefinically unsaturated compounds

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- Number: US 4,400,549 A
- Document ID: US4400549A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 06/324,277
- Filed: 1981-11-23
- Granted: 1983-08-23
- Earliest claimed: 1980-12-09
- Assignees: BASF SE
- Inventors: Wolfgang Richter; Rudolf Kummer; Kurt Schwirten
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4400549A

## CPC

- C07C 45/50: by oxo-reactions
- C07C: ACYCLIC OR CARBOCYCLIC COMPOUNDS

## Abstract

A process for hydroformylating olefinically unsaturated compounds by means of rhodium/triphenylphosphine/carbonyl complexes formed in situ from rhodium acetate, triphenylphosphine and carbon monoxide, wherein the hydroformylation reaction is preceded by a starting phase in which the mixture of the hydroformylation medium, the triphenylphosphine and rhodium acetate is heated at from 90.degree. to 120.degree. C. under a CO/H.sub.2 pressure of from 5 to 20 bar and the acetic acid liberated is discharged from the reactor in gaseous form in a stream of CO and H.sub.2, until virtually no more acetic acid can be detected in this gaseous discharge.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process for hydroformylating olefinically unsaturated compounds by means of rhodium/triphenylphosphine/carbonyl complexes formed in situ from rhodium acetate, triphenylphosphine and carbon monoxide, wherein the hydroformylation reaction is preceded by a starting phase in which the mixture of the hydroformylation medium, the triphenylphosphine and rhodium acetate is heated at from 90.degree. to 120.degree. C. under a CO/H.sub.2 pressure of from 5 to 20 bar and the acetic acid liberated is discharged from the reactor in gaseous form in a stream of CO and H.sub.2, until virtually no more acetic acid can be detected in this gaseous discharge.

### Claim 2

In a process for hydroformylating olefinically unsaturated compounds by means of rhodium/triphenylphosphine/carbonyl complexes formed in situ from rhodium acetate, triphenylphosphine and carbon monoxide, the improvement comprising: preceding the hydroformylation reaction with a starting phase wherein a mixture of the hydroformylation medium, triphenylphosphine and rhodium acetate is heated at from 90.degree. to 120.degree. C. under a CO/H.sub.2 pressure of from 5 to 20 bar and the acetic acid liberated is discharged from the reactor in gaseous form in a stream of CO and H.sub.2, until virtually no more acetic acid can be detected in this gaseous discharge, and thereafter passing the olefinically unsaturated compound into the reaction medium.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The process of claim 2 wherein the olefinically unsaturated compound is an olefin selected from the group consisted of ethylene, propylene and the C.sub.8 -C.sub.12 -alkenes.