HYDROFORMYLATION PROCESS WITH IMPROVED CONTROL OVER PRODUCT ISOMERS

摘要

A continuous hydroformylation process for producing a mixture of aldehyde s with improved flexibility and stability of a normal/branched (N/I) isomer ratio of the product aldehydes. The process involves reacting one or more ol efinically-unsaturated compounds with carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the pr esence of an organopolyphosphite ligand and an organomonophosphite ligand, a t least one of such ligands being bonded to a transition metal to form a tra nsition metal-ligand complex hydroformylation catalyst; the process being co nducted at a sub-stoichiometric molar ratio of organopolyphosphite ligand to transition metal, at a super-stoichiometric (>2/1) molar ratio of organo monophosphite ligand to transition metal, and at a carbon monoxide partial p ressure in the inverse order region of the hydroformylation rate curve; and controlling and varying the N/I isomer ratio by varying the concentration of organopolyphosphite ligand relative to transition metal.