Method for the purification of triorganophosphites by treatment with a basic additive

A method for separating one or more triorganophosphite components from a crude phosphite mixture containing acidic hydrolysis products, said method comprising:

• contacting said crude phosphite mixture with a basic additive to produce a second mixture comprising a first phase and a second phase, wherein said first phase comprises the basic additive and the acidic hydrolysis products, wherein the acidic hydrolysis products comprise one or more components independently selected from the group consisting of (R2O)(R3O)POH, (R1)(HO)PO(H) and H3PO3, wherein R1, R2 and R3 are independently selected from the group consisting of C1 to C18 alkyl, C6 to C18 aryl and hydroxyaryl, and C3 to C18 cycloalkyl and hydroxyalkyl radicals, and wherein R2 and R3 can optionally be connected to each other directly by a chemical bond or through an intermediate divalent group R9;
• and
• said second phase comprises the one or more triorganophosphite components, the triorganophosphite components are independently selected from the group consisting of (R4O)(R5O)P(OR6) and ((R7O)(R8O)PO)nA, wherein R4, R6, R6, R7 and R8 are independently selected from the group consisting of C1 to C18 alkyl, C6 to C18 aryl and C3 to C18 cycloalkyl radicals, wherein each of R4, R5 and R6 can optionally be connected to one or both of the other two directly by a chemical bond or through an intermediate divalent group R10, wherein R7 and R8 can optionally be connected to each other directly by a chemical bond or through an intermediate divalent group R11, wherein A is an optionally substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic, aromatic or heteroaromatic radical, wherein n is an integer greater than 1;
• and
• wherein R9, R10, and R11 are independently selected from the group consisting of —O—, —S—, and —CH(R12)—, wherein R12 is selected from the group consisting of H, C6 to C18 aryl, and C1 to C18 alkyl.