CA2235065A1 - Process for preparing 1,3-propanediol - Google Patents

Abstract

A process for preparing 1,3-propanediol comprises the steps of: (a) reacting a cobalt salt selected from at least one of cobalt hydroxide, cobalt (II, 1II) oxide and cobalt carbonate with synthesis gas in an essentially non-water-miscible liquid medium under conditions effective to produce a cobalt carbonyl reaction product comprising at least one active cobalt carbonyl hydroformylation catalyst species; (b) contacting ethylene oxide with synthesis gas in an essentially non-water-miscible liquid medium in the presence of a catalytic amount of the cobalt carbonyl reaction product mixture and an effective amount of a catalyst promoter under reaction conditions effective to produce an intermediate product mixture comprising less than 15 wt.% 3-hydroxypropanal;
(c) adding an aqueous liquid to said intermediate product mixture and extracting into said aqueous liquid a major portion of the 3-hydroxypropanal so as to provide an aqueous phase comprising 3-hydroxypropanal in greater concentration than the concentration of 3-hydroxypropanal in the intermediate product mixture, and an organic phase comprising a major portion of the cobalt carbonyl; (d) separating the aqueous phase from the organic phase; (e) returning at least a major portion of the organic phase to the process of step (b); (f) contacting the aqueous phase comprising 3-hydroxypropanal with hydrogen in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst under hydrogenation conditions to provide a hydrogenation product mixture comprising 1,3-propanediol; and (g) recovering 1,3-propanediol from the hydrogenation product mixture.