Process for the production of formates
AssigneeBP Chemicals Limited
InventorMichael J. Green
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An alkyl ester of formic acid is prepared by reacting carbon monoxide with an alcohol in the presence, as catalyst, of (a) a guanidine or (b) an amidine and an epoxide. The amidine or guanidine structure can by cyclic. The process can be operated in the liquid phase at pressures from 20 to 120 bars and temperatures from 40.degree. to 150.degree. C. with excess carbon monoxide over that required for conversion of the alcohol to the formate ester.
Claims15
A process for the preparation of an alkyl ester of formic acid which process comprises reacting carbon monoxide with an alcohol in the presence of, as catalyst, an effective amount of (a) a compound containing a guanidine group or (b) a compound containing an amidine group and a compound containing an epoxide group.
A process for the preparation of an alkyl ester of formic acid which process comprises reacting carbon monoxide with an alkanol having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms in the presence of, as catalyst from 0.01 to 50% by weight based on the weight of the reactants of (a) a compound containing a guanidine group and selected from the group consisting of N,N,N.sup.1,N.sup.1 -tetramethyl guanidine, 1,5,7-triazabicyclo[4.4.0]dec-5-ene, N,N,N.sup.1,N.sup.1 -tetramethyl-N.sup.11 -(3-trimethoxysilylpropyl)-guanidine, N,N,N.sup.1,N.sup.1 -tetramethyl-N.sup.11 -octanoyl-guanidine, and N,N.sup.1 -dicyclohexyl-N.sup.11 -(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-piperidinyl)-guanidine, or (b) a compound containing an amidine group and selected from the group consisting of 1,5-diazabicyclo-[4.3.0]-non-5-ene and 1,8-diazabicyclo-[5.4.0]-undec-7-ene, and a compound containing an epoxide group, and selected from the group consisting of ethylene oxide, 1:2-propylene oxide, and 1:2-butylene oxide.
A process for the preparation of an alkyl ester of formic acid which process comprises reacting carbon monoxide with an alcohol in the presence of, as catalyst, an effective amount of a compound containing a guanidine group.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.