One-stage continuous process for hydroformylating higher olefins or olefin mixtures

Abstract

The invention relates to a one-stage continuous process for hydroformylating olefins having at least 5 carbon atoms to the corresponding aldehydes and/or alcohols having at least 6 carbon atoms in the presence of unmodified cobalt catalysts in a process in which, in the presence of an aqueous phase and of an organic phase, catalyst formation, catalyst extraction and hydroformylation proceed in the same reactor, which is characterized in that more aqueous cobalt salt solution is fed into the reactor as an aqueous phase with the liquid reaction mixture and is discharged from the reactor with the gas phase, and in that the level of the aqueous bottom phase is kept constant by continuously conducting a portion of the aqueous bottom phase out of the reactor.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.