Method of producing aldehydes

A method of producing aldehydes comprising the steps of:

• reacting an olefinic compound with hydrogen and carbon monoxide at a temperature in the range of approximately 45 to 70° C. in a hydroformylation reaction in a reaction mixture containing a catalyst to produce said aldehydes;
• and
• separating said aldehydes from said reaction mixture at a temperature in the range of approximately 40 to 80° C.;
• wherein said catalyst does not undergo substantial deactivation during the hydroformylation reaction or during said separation step and said deactivation is not greater than a rate of approximately 0.2 weight percent per hour of operation of said hydroformylation reaction and wherein the formation of high boiling point by-product components are limited to a yield of less than approximately 2 percent by weight of the olefinic compound.

A method of producing aldehydes in a hydroformylation system which includes a reactor and a downstream catalyst process path, comprising the steps of:

• reacting an olefinic compound with hydrogen and carbon monoxide in a hydroformylation reaction mixture containing a catalyst, at a temperature in the reactor and downstream catalyst process path of less than approximately 80° C., to produce a reaction solution including one or more aldehyde products and high boiling point by-product components;
• separating said aldehydes from said reaction mixture;
• and
• providing a solvent as a starting material to the reaction, the solvent being comprised, at least partially, of one or more aldehyde,
• such that formation of high boiling point by-product components from the reaction, and decomposition of the catalyst, are substantially minimized.