GB702241A - Improvements in or relating to the production of oxygen-containing organic compoundsfrom carbon monoxide, hydrogen and olefins - Google Patents

Abstract

Oxygenated compounds, particularly aldehydes, are prepared from an "olefin," including any compound containing ethylenic unsaturation, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen by OXO synthesis in the presence of a separately prepared cobalt carbonyl, passing the product or a liquid phase portion thereof through a catalyst recovery zone under conditions to decompose cobalt carbonyls to the metal, treating the metal with carbon monoxide in the presence of a liquid organic solvent to form a solution of cobalt carbonyl and using this as the OXO synthesis catalyst. Carbon monoxide mixtures such as water gas may be used for the carbonyl production, the CO partial pressure being 20-300 atm. and the temperature within the range 30-250 but not 90-130 DEG C. The solvent, which may be fed CO-or countercurrent with the CO gas, may be aromatic hydrocarbons, cycloparaffins, ethers, esters, alkanols or high boiling OXO products. The cobalt recovery zone may contain a porous carrier and carbonyl decomposition is effective at, e.g. 120-250 DEG C. Hydrogen may be present up to pressures of 200 atm. or more especially where conversion of aldehydes to alcohols is intended. Alternatively a cobalt compound may be present in the recovery zone. In addition to acyclic monolefins, polyenes such as butadiene, cyclic olefins, e.g. cyclopentene, cyclohexene, and styrene, and ethylenic compounds, e.g. vinyl acetate and chloride, may be used. In an example, propylene is reacted using a xylene solution of cobalt carbonyl. Specifications 702,221 and 702,222 are referred to.