The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 23, 1998
Filed:
Mar. 11, 1996
Joseph Broun Powell, Houston, TX (US);
Stephen Blake Mullin, Katy, TX (US);
Paul Richard Weider, Houston, TX (US);
David Cleve Eubanks, Houston, TX (US);
Juan Pedro Arhancet, Katy, TX (US);
Shell Oil Company, Houston, TX (US);
Abstract
1,3-propanediol is prepared in a process in which ethylene oxide is reacted with carbon monoxide and hydrogen in an essentially non-water-miscible solvent in the presence of an effective amount of a non-phosphine-ligated cobalt catalyst and an effective amount of a catalyst promoter under reaction conditions effective to produce an intermediate product mixture comprising less than about 15 wt % 3-hydroxypropanal. The 3-hydroxypropanal is extracted in water from the product mixture in more concentrated form, with the majority of the cobalt catalyst remaining in the solvent phase for recycle to the hydroformylation reaction. At least a portion of any residual catalyst in the water phase following extraction is removed by re-extraction with non-water-miscible solvent and recycled to hydroformylation. The 3-hydroxypropanal is then hydrogenated in aqueous solution to the desired 1,3-propanediol.