Patent ID: 6252121
Filing Date: 2001-06-26
Classification: B33Y,C07B,C07C,Y02P

Abstract:
A process for separating one or more cyclic products from a reaction product fluid comprising one or more cyclic reactants, a metal-organophosphorus ligand complex catalyst, optionally free organophosphorus ligand, a non-polar solvent and said one or more cyclic products, wherein said process comprises: (1) reacting said one or more cyclic reactants in the presence of said metal-organophosphorus ligand complex catalyst, optionally free organophosphorus ligand and non-polar solvent to form a multiphase reaction product fluid; and (2) separating said multiphase reaction product fluid to obtain a non-polar phase comprising said one or more cyclic reactants, metal-organophosphorus ligand complex catalyst, optionally free organophosphorus ligand and non-polar solvent and a polar phase comprising said one or more cyclic products; wherein (i) the ratio of the concentration of organophosphorus ligand in the nonpolar phase after phase separation to the concentration of organophosphorus ligand in the polar phase after phase separation is a value greater than about 5, and (ii) the ratio of the concentration of cyclic products in the polar phase after phase separation to the concentration of cyclic products in the nonpolar phase after phase separation is a value greater than about 0.5.