Exxonmobil Chemical Patents Inc.

Corey W Reed

Ronald Dean Garton

Krishna Kulai Rao

Bruce D Lilly

Ramzi Yanni Saleh

Raphael Frans Caers

Eddy T A Van Driessche

Ronald D Garton

An improved hydroformylation catalyst cycle is disclosed wherein the cobalt catalyst is recycled to the hydroformylation reaction mainly as a water soluble carbonyl salt, obtained from extraction of the acidic form of the homogeneous cobalt carbonyl catalyst from the hydroformylation product with an aqueous solution of a salt of a weaker acid. The organic product after extraction is submitted to a further demetalling step in the presence of a dilute acid and an oxidant. The water from this further demetalling step is suitable for use in the upstream extraction step. A free water phase present in the hydroformylation reaction product may be separated upstream from the extraction step and is suitable for use in the further demetalling step, such that the catalyst cycle has no waste water stream.

Hydroformylation process including catalyst recycle

Acetals are formed from an aldehyde hydrogenation product mixture comprising alcohols and at most 2% of alde-hydes and the product is distilled to yield purified alcohols and a second stream containing acetals and/or unsaturated ethers.

Manufacture of purified alcohols

Acetals are formed from a mixture comprising alcohols and aldehydes and the product is distilled to yield purified alcohols and/or acetals and/or unsaturated ethers.

Manufacture of alcohols

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Baton Rouge, LA, United States of America

Corey W Reed