Continuous hydroformylation of olefin for aldehyde and alcohol production, using recycled cobalt catalyst derived from cobalt salt solution under conditions such that the solubility limit of cobalt formate is not exceeded

摘要

The continuous hydroformylation of 6-20C olefins with hydrogen and carbon monoxide, with regeneration and recycling of the cobalt catalyst, is carried out with aqueous cobalt(II) salt solution. A continuous process for the hydroformylation of 6-20C olefins (I) by: (a) contacting an aqueous cobalt(II) salt solution with hydrogen and carbon monoxide to form a hydroformylation catalyst and then bringing the aqueous catalyst phase into intimate contact with (I), optional organic solvent and H2 plus CO so that the catalyst is extracted into the organic phase and (I) is hydroformylated; (b) treating the product from the reaction zone with oxygen in presence of acid aqueous Co salt solution so that the catalyst is decomposed to form Co(II) salts which are back-extracted into the aqueous phase, and then separating the phases; and (c) returning the aqueous Co(II) salt solution unchanged to stage (a). The Co(II) salt solution has a concentration of 1.1-1.7 wt% (as cobalt) and is always kept under conditions such that the solubility limit of Co(II) formate in water is not exceeded.