GB663240A - Synthesis of octyl alcohols - Google Patents

Abstract

Oxygenated compounds are made by reacting heptenes with carbon monoxide and hydrogen at 300-360 DEG C. and 2900-3500 p.s.i. in the presence of a cobalt salt of a fatty acid so that a body of cobalt material is maintained in the reaction zone and the quantity of cobalt compound calculated as metal dissolved in and removed from the reaction zone in the effluent is of the same order as the cobalt compound calculated as metal added with the feed. Products from the carbonylation zone are preferably cooled and separated into liquid and gaseous phases and the gaseous phase and at least part of the liquid phase recycled to the reaction zone, c.f. Specification 647,363. The remainder of the liquid phase is treated in the normal fashion for alcohol production. In an illustration a C7 olefine non-selective polymer cut is mixed with cobalt naphthenate, the weight of Co in solution being 0.1-0.3, preferably 0.15-0.3 per cent, of total liquid, preheated to 475-525 DEG F., and passed to the bottom of a primary reactor which may contain conventional packing. Hydrogen and carbon monoxide is approximate vol. ratio of 1.0 to 1.2 : 1 is fed to the reactor and may be fresh feed or recycled gas and synthesis is effected at 2900-3500 p.s.i., preferably at about 3000 p.s.i., and at 300-360 DEG F., preferably 340-360 DEG F., with an olefine fresh feed rate of from about 0.4-0.6, a fresh synthesis gas feed rate of 2000-3000 cu. feet/barrel of olefine and a nominal residence time of olefine of about 2 1/2 hours. Cooling of the reactor is effected by recycling product, as described above in the preferred treatment of the product. Recycle gas rate is about 6000 cu. feet/barrel of olefine feed. The product before decobalting may be purged with hydrogen, c.f. Specification 629,915, and hydrogenation is preferably effected at about 400-500 DEG F., about 2800-3200 p.s.i., with a liquid feed rate of about 0.6 v./v./hour and a recycle gas rate of about 15,000 cu. feet/barrel. A number of conventional hydrogenation catalysts are specified. The hydrogenated product is purified and an octanol cut of boiling range 350-375 DEG F. taken. Tables are provided which show the effect of temperature variation in which higher or lower temperatures than those specified result respectively in accumulating or stripping the cobalt in the reaction zone, and of other reaction variables in two runs to produce octanols.