Hoechst Aktiengesellschaft

Eberhard Von Mulmann

Helmut Bahrmann

Peter Lappe

Jurgen Weber

Helmut Springer

Ernst Wiebus

Peter Heymanns

Carl Dieter Frohning

Wolfgang Greb

Heinz Kalbfell

Georg Dambkes

Harald Kappesser

Isomeric mixtures of pentanoic acids are prepared by subjecting butene-1/butene-2 mixtures to hydroformylation to form aldehyde mixtures, followed by oxidation of the aldehyde mixtures which have been separated off from the reaction product. The hydroformylation is carried out in a heterogeneous system in the presence of rhodium catalysts which are dissolved in water. The mixture of isomeric 5 carbon monocarboxylic acids produced, when esterified with polyhydric alcohols, yields mixtures of isomeric esters which are useful as lubricants for refrigerant compressors operated with chlorine-free, at least partly fluorinated hydrocarbons as the refrigerant.

Mixtures of isomeric pentanoic acids, esters prepared therefrom, and

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Oberhausen, Germany

Eberhard Von Mulmann