GB938836A - Process for the manufacture of carbonyl compounds - Google Patents

Abstract

Carbonyl compounds are obtained by the process in which an olefine is reacted with molecular oxygen in the presence of a liquid aqueous acid or neutral catalyst comprising at least one salt of a metal capable of existing in more than one valency state, the liquid catalyst and reactants being passed through the reaction zone in the same direction at a high velocity, so that the velocity of the heterogeneous system is at least at some places greater than the relative velocity of the catalyst liquid and the reactants that would be reached at the flooding point if they were flowing in countercurrent under otherwise identical conditions. The process can be used for the treatment of olefines mixed with saturated hydrocarbons or of mixtures of olefines. Advantageously a catalyst containing a noble metal in addition to the metal capable of existing in more than one valency state is used. Preferably a catalyst containing a palladium compound and a copper compound is used and it may also contain iron, chromium, manganese or cerium compounds. Suitable anions are, for example, halogen ions, chlorate, perchlorate, or nitrate ions or mixtures of these with sulphate or acetate ions. In addition where chlorine ions are present in the catalyst, compounds which yield chlorine ions, e.g. acetyl chloride, ethyl chloride, tertiary butyl chloride and bromine trichloride may be added to the reaction mixture. To raise the pressure of water vapour substances, e.g. metal salts capable of raising the boiling-point may be added to the catalyst. The process may be used for converting ethylene to acetaldehyde and acetic acid, propylene to methylethyl ketone, butylenes to methylethyl ketone, butyraldehyde or isobutyraldehyde, and butadiene to diacetyl and crotonaldehyde. Specifications 898,790, 900,829, 922,694, 938,831, 938,832, 938,833, 938,834 and 938,835 are referred to.