Process for producing ethanol and n-propanol from methanol
AssigneeRuhrchemie Aktiengesellschaft
InventorsBoy Cornils, Carl D. Frohning, Gerhard Diekhaus, Ernst Wiebus, Helmut Bahrmann
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Abstract
A method for the production of ethanol or propanol comprising the reaction of methanol with carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst. The catalyst contains a cobalt compound, a ruthenium compound, iodine or an iodide, and a bi-dentate organic phosphine or phosphite. The reaction is carried out at 150.degree. to 250.degree. C., 200 to 600 bars, and in the presence of 5 to 25% by weight of water, based on the methanol.
Claims13
A method for the production of ethanol and n-propanol comprising reacting methanol with carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst containing a cobalt compound, a ruthenium compound, iodine or an iodide, and a bi-dentate organic phosphine or phosphite of the formula ##STR3## wherein R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3, and R.sub.4 are individually hydrogen, alkyl radicals having 1 to 16 carbon atoms, and aryl radicals having 6 to 15 carbon atoms;
- a is 0 or 1, and n is an integer from 1 to 6;
- the reaction being carried out at 150.degree. to 250.degree. C. and 450 to 600 bars.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.