Basf Aktiengesellschaft

Bernhard Giessler

Rocco Paciello

Heinz-Josef Kneuper

Knut Oppenl&auml;nder

Michael R&ouml;per

Wolfgang G&uuml;nther

A process for the preparation of aldehydes or aldehydes and alcohols by hydroformylation of olefins containing more than 3 carbon atoms, comprising a hydroformylation stage, in which the olefin is hydroformylated under a pressure of form 50 to 1000 bar and at a temperature of from 50&deg; to 180&deg; C. by means of a rhodium catalyst dissolved in a homogenous reaction medium and a catalyst recovery stage comprising extraction of the rhodium catalyst with an aqueous solution of chelating agent, isolation of alcohols and/or aldehyde from the extracted hydroformylation product steam, precarbonylation of the aqueous rhodium-containing extract in the presence of carbon monoxide, synthesis gas as, or a gas mixture containing carbon monoxide under a pressure of from 50 to 1000 bar and at a temperature of from 50&deg; to 180&deg; C., separation of the effluent of the precarbonylation stage into an organic phase containing the major portion of the rhodium and an aqueous phase containing the chelating agent and recycling of the organic phase to the hydroformylation stage, where the rhodium catalyst is extracted from the effluent of the hydroformylation stage using an aqueous solution of a sulfonic acid group-free, water-soluble polymer capable of chelating rhodium.

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Kirchheim, Germany

Bernhard Giessler