PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF OXO PRODUCTS

摘要

A propylene stream which contains propane as an impurity is contacted with carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the presence of a hydroformylation catalyst thereby producing a product stream containing butyraldehyde and/or n-butyl alcohol, unreacted propylene and propane. A gas mixture containing propylene andpropane is separated from the product stream and subjected to adsorption at a temperature of 0 to 250.degree.C. in a bed of adsorbent which selectively adsorbs propylene, thereby adsorbing substantially all of the propylene from the gas mixture. The propylene is desorbed from the adsorbent and recycled to the reaction zone. The process is operated on a low per pass conversion with recycleof unreacted propylene. In the system of the invention the propylene adsorption unit may be upstream or downstream of the hydroformylation reactor.