Hydroformylation process

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10023516-B2
Application number	US-201515522137-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 18, 2015
Priority date	Dec 4, 2014
Publication date	Jul 17, 2018
Grant date	Jul 17, 2018

Abstract

Catalytic metal loss when using a hydroformylation catalyst comprising an organophosphite ligand is ameliorated by adding CO to a strip gas vaporizer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A continuous hydroformylation process comprising: (a) removing a reaction fluid from a reactor; (b) sending the reaction fluid to a vaporizer; (c) separating the reaction fluid in the vaporizer to produce a catalyst-containing liquid stream and a gas phase stream; and (d) maintaining an average CO partial pressure in the vaporizer of greater than 16 psia (110 kPa).

2. A continuous hydroformylation process comprising:
(a) feeding a reaction fluid comprising one or more products, one or more heavy by-products, a transition metal-organophosphite ligand complex catalyst, one or more unconverted reactants, and one or more inert lights into a vaporizer;
(b) removing from the vaporizer an overhead gas stream comprising one or more products, one or more unconverted reactants, one or more inert lights, and a portion of the heavy by-products, and feeding said overhead gas stream into a condenser;
(c) removing from the condenser a condenser overhead gas stream comprising one or more unconverted reactants and one or more inert lights;
(d) recycling at least a portion of said condenser overhead gas stream to the vaporizer;
(e) introducing to the vaporizer, in addition to the condenser overhead gas stream, a gas stream comprising CO, such that the average CO partial pressure in the vaporizer is greater than 16 psia (110 kPa); and
(f) removing as a tails stream from the vaporizer, a liquid recycle catalyst stream comprising the transition metal-organophosphite ligand complex catalyst and the balance of the heavy by-products.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein the average CO partial pressure in the vaporizer is at least 20 psia (138 kPa).

4. The process of claim 1 wherein the average CO partial pressure in the vaporizer is at least 25 psia (172 kPa).

5. The process of claim 1 wherein the process outlet temperature of the vaporizer is at least 80° C.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein the product comprises an aldehyde.

7. The process of claim 1 wherein, in the vaporizer, the H 2 partial pressure is from 0.1 psia (0.7 kPa) to less than half the CO partial pressure.

8. The process of claim 1 wherein, in the vaporizer, the H 2 partial pressure is from 0.1 psia (0.7 kPa) to no more than 10% of the CO partial pressure.

9. The process of claim 1 wherein the reaction fluid is obtained by contacting CO, H 2 , an olefin and a catalyst comprising rhodium and an organophosphite ligand in a reaction zone under hydroformylation reaction conditions to produce an aldehyde product in the reaction fluid.

10. The process of claim 1 wherein the catalyst is a transition metal-organophosphite ligand complex catalyst, wherein the ligand comprises an organomonophosphite ligand.

11. The process of claim 1 , further comprising maintaining an average H 2 partial pressure in the vaporizer of less than 2 psia (14 kPa).

12. The process of claim 1 , further comprising sending the reaction fluid to a flash vessel prior to sending the reaction fluid to the vaporizer.

Assignees

• Dow Technology Investments Llc

Inventors

• Brammer Michael A
• Phillips George R
• Eisenschmid Thomas C
• Cox Irvin B
• Hetterley Robert
• Bainbridge Michael John

Classifications

• B01J31/22

  Organic complexes · CPC title

• C07C47/02

  Saturated compounds having —CHO groups bound to acyclic carbon atoms or to hydrogen · CPC title

• C07C45/50 Primary

  by oxo-reactions · CPC title

• C07C45/78

  Separation; Purification; Stabilisation; Use of additives · CPC title

• B01J2219/00033

  Continuous processes · CPC title