Patent EA-001547-B1 (EA)
Title: Improved metal-legand complex catalyzed process of hydroforming
Inventor: BRYANT DAVID ROBERT
IPC: C07C45/50
Filed: 1996-12-05
Abstract: 1. A process for separating one or more phosphorus acidic compounds from a reaction product fluid  or stabilizing an organophosphite ligand against hydrolytic degradation and/or a metal-organophosphite ligand complex catalyst against deactivation, or preventing and/or lessening hydrolytic degradation of an organophosphite ligand and/or deactivation of a metal-organophosphite ligand complex catalyst during a hydroformylation process, said process comprises (a) treating a reaction product fluid containing a metal-organophosphite ligand complex catalyst and optionally free organophosphite ligand and which also contains one or more phosphorus acidic compounds, with water sufficient to remove at least some amount of said one or more phosphorus acidic compounds from said reaction product fluid and (b) treating the water which contains phosphorus acidic compounds removed from said reaction product fluid with an acid removal substance sufficient to remove at least some amount of said one or more phosphorus acidic compounds from said water. 2. The process of claim 1 wherein said acid removal substances are selected from oxides, hydroxides, carbonates, bicarbonates and carboxylates of Group 2, 11 and 12 metals. 3. The process of claim 1 or 2 wherein said reaction product fluid contains a homogeneous or heterogeneous metal-organophosphite ligand complex catalyst or at least a portion of said reaction product fluid contacts a fixed heterogeneous metal-organophosphite ligand complex catalyst during said hydroformylation process. 4. The process of claims 1 to 3 wherein said metal-organophosphite ligand complex catalyst comprises rhodium complexed with an organophosphite ligand selected from: (i) a monoorganophosphite represented by the formula:   wherein R<1> represents a substituted or unsubstituted trivalent hydrocarbon radical containing from 4 to 40 carbon atoms or greater; (ii) a diorganophosphite represented by the formula:   wherein R<2> represents a substituted or unsubstituted divalent hydrocarbon radical containing from 4 to 40 carbon atoms or greater and W represents a substituted or unsubstituted monovalent hydrocarbon radical containing from 1 to 18 carbon atoms or greater; (iii) a triorganophosphite represented by the formula:   wherein each R<6> is the same or different and represents a substituted or unsubstituted monovalent hydrocarbon radical; and  (iv) an organopolyphosphite containing two or more tertiary (trivalent) phosphorus atoms represented by the formula:   wherein X represents a substituted or unsubstituted n-valent hydrocarbon bridging radical containing from 2 to 40 carbon atoms, each R<7> is the same or different and represents a divalent hydrocarbon radical containing from 4 to 40 carbon atoms, each R<8> is the same or different and represents a substituted or unsubstituted monovalent hydrocarbon radical containing from 1 to 24 carbon atoms, a and b can be the same or different and each have a value of 0 to 6, with the proviso that the sum of a+b is 2 to 6 and n equals a+b. 5. The process of claims 1 to 4 wherein phosphorus acidic compounds present in the reaction product fluid are scavenged by an organic nitrogen compound that is also present in said reaction medium and wherein at least some amount of the phosphorus acidic compound of the conversion products of the reaction between said phosphorus acidic compound and said organic nitrogen compound are also removed by the water treatment. 6. The process of claim 5 wherein the organic nitrogen compound is selected from the group consisting of diazoles, triazoles, diazines and triazines. 7. The process of claim 5 wherein the organic nitrogen compound is benzimidazole or benzotriazole.