Basf Se Corporation

Jürgen Paschold

Joaquim Henrique Teles

Stefan Rittinger

Daniel Schneider

Martin Schäfer

Klaus-Dieter Mohl

Peter Bassler

Thorsten Friese

Donata Maria Fries

Bernd Gerber

Marcus Bechtel

Process for preparing methyl formate by carbonylation of methanol by means of carbon monoxide in a carbonylation reactor in the presence of a catalyst system comprising alkali metal formate and alkali metal alkoxide to give a reaction mixture (R) which comprises methyl formate, alkali metal formate, alkali metal alkoxide and possibly unreacted methanol and unreacted carbon monoxide and is taken from the carbonylation reactor, wherein the reaction mixture (R) comprises at least 0.5% by weight of alkali metal alkoxide based on the total weight of the reaction mixture (R) and the molar ratio of alkali metal formate to alkali metal alkoxide in the reaction mixture (R) is greater than 1.

Process for preparing methyl formate by reaction of methanol with carbon monoxide in the presence of a catalyst system comprising alkali metal formate and alkali metal alkoxide

Process for obtaining formic acid by thermal separation of a stream comprising formic acid and a tertiary amine (I), in which a liquid stream comprising formic acid and tertiary amine (I) is produced by combining tertiary amine (I) and a formic acid source, secondary components comprised therein are separated off, formic acid is removed by distillation from the resulting liquid stream in a distillation apparatus, where the bottom output from the distillation apparatus is separated into two liquid phases, and the upper liquid phase is recirculated to the formic acid source and the lower liquid phase is recirculated to the separation of the secondary components and/or to the distillation apparatus, wherein low boilers are removed by distillation from the upper liquid phase and recirculated to the depleted stream.

Process for preparing formic acid

Growing community of inventors

Hochspeyer, Germany

Jürgen Paschold