GB1041101A - Oxo process - Google Patents

Abstract

In a process for the preparation of alcohols by the oxo process wherein olefins are reacted with carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the presence of a cobalt catalyst at superatmospheric pressures, the improvement comprises controlling the temperature of the reaction mixture to provide a continuously increasing temperature, the initial temperature being 50-178 DEG C., the mid-point temperature 180-200 DEG C. and the terminal temperature 205-225 DEG C. The oxonation is effected in the presence of known cobalt sources, e.g. cobalt carbonyl, carboxylate, oxide, carbonate or metal, yielding in the reaction mixture cobalt carbonyl which is effective as both the carbonylation and hydrogenation catalyst. The preferred amount of hydrogen in the feed and product gas is less than 60% volume and 3-50% volume, respectively, based on total CO + H2 volume. In a preferred embodiment using a tubular reactor, the percentage of hydrogen in the gas phase decreases along the reactor and the numerical product of the value of this H2 percentage multiplied by the temperature at a particular point lies in the range 1500-10,000. It is preferred to introduce 2-10% by weight, based on total reaction mass, of water into the reactor. The process can be carried out, continuously or batchwise, in a tubular reactor, a series of autoclaves or a combination of tubular reactors and stirred autoclaves. Examples describe the oxonation of (1) propylene trimer to isodecyl alcohol, (7) propylene to n- and i-butyl alcohols, (8) heptene to isodecyl alcohol, (9), (10), (11) and (12), propylene tetramer to tridecyl alcohol. In Examples (2)-(6) temperatures outside the scope of the invention are used in the oxonation of propylene trimer to give reaction products containing considerable proportions of isodecylaldehyde.