Exxonmobil Chemical Patents Inc.

Eddy Theophyle Andrea Van Driessche

Raphael Frans Caers

Kenneth L Riley

Ramzi Yanni Saleh

John Richard Shutt

John Stephen Godsmark

Luc Roger Marc Martens

Hubertus Joseph Beckers

Jose M Vargas

Arie Van Vliet

Philippe Louis Buess

Magdiel Agosto

Jon ER Stanat

Increasing the propylene content of the propylene feed delivered to a continuous hydroformylation process from the 95 mole % maximum level that is usual in typical chemical grade propylene to at least 97 mole %, for example to the 97.5% level obtainable from the conversion of oxygenates to olefins or the 99.5% level of polymer grade propylene, enables adjustments to be made in the syngas feed to the process. This leads to surprising improvements in hydroformylation product yield, in reactor capacity utilization and in the reduction of amounts of waste gases.

Process for hydroformylation of propylene

The use of a controlled amount of water in a hydrogenation stage of the oxo process for the production of alcohols which uses at least two reactors in series improves the efficiency of the hydrogenation reaction and catalyst life as does a reduction in the amount of sulphur, chlorine and hydroformylation catalyst residues in the feed to hydrogenation.

Hydrogenation

Propylene streams obtained by the conversion of oxygenates to olefins are used as feeds for hydroformylation. The streams may contain measurable amounts of dimethyl ether without adversely impacting the hydroformylation.

Propylene hydroformylation

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Eeklo, Belgium

Eddy Theophyle Andrea Van Driessche