Patent EA-005039-B1 (EA)
Title: Process for recovering homogeneous metal hydrate catalysts
Inventor: CRABTREE SIMON PETER
IPC: B01J31/40
Filed: 2002-05-29
Abstract: 1. A process for recovery of homogeneous metal hydride catalyst from a reactor stream as catalyst suitable for recycle to a reactor comprising the steps of: (a) removing a stream from a reactor, said stream comprising the homogeneous metal hydride catalyst; (b) contacting the stream with a solid acidic absorbent under process conditions which allow at least some of the metal to become bound to the absorbent; (c) subjecting the metal bound to the absorbent, under process conditions which allow desorption of the metal, to a fluid stripping medium comprising hydrogen and solvent; and (d) recovering the active metal hydride catalyst. 2. A process according to Claim 1 wherein the fluid stripping medium is a single fluid phase. 3. A process according to Claim 2 wherein the single fluid phase is a supercritical phase. 4. A process according to Claim 1 wherein the fluid stripping medium comprises two fluid phases. 5. A process according to any one of Claims 1 to 4 wherein the metal hydride catalyst is a Group VIII noble hydride catalyst wherein the Group VIII noble metal hydride catalyst is a platinum, palladium, iridium or rhodium hydride catalyst. 6. A process according to Claim 5 wherein the catalyst is HRh (CO)(PPh3)3. 7. A process according to any one of Claims 1 to 6 wherein the reactor stream is from a hydroformylation reactor. 8. A process according to Claim 7 wherein the reactor stream contains non-volatile by products of the reaction. 9. A process according to any one of Claims 1 to 8 wherein the reactor stream having been contacted with the solid acidic absorbent is removed. 10 A process according to any one of Claims 1 to 9 wherein the acidic absorbent is an ion-exchange resin. 11. A process according to any one of Claims 1 to 10 wherein the acidic absorbent is a styrene divinyl copolymer containing sulphonic acid groups or carboxylic acid groups. 12. A process according to any one of Claims 1 to 11 wherein the acidic absorbent has a silica-containing backbone and an acidic functional group attached to the silica. 13. A process according to Claim 12 wherein the acidic functional group is an aromatic carboxylic acid, an aliphatic carboxylic acid, an aromatic sulphonic acid or an aliphatic sulphonic acid. 14. A process according to any one of Claims 1 to 13 wherein the acidic absorbent is Amberlyst<TM> 15 or Amberlyst <TM> DPT-1. 15. A process according to any one of Claims 1 to 14 wherein step (b) is carried out at a temperature of from about 20 degree C to about 100 degree C. 16. A process according to Claim 15 wherein the temperature is in the region of about 50 degree C to about 95 degree C. 17. A process according to any one of Claims 1 to 16 wherein the reactor stream is concentrated prior to contact with the acidic absorbent. 18. A process according to any one of Claims 1 to 17 wherein the reactor stream is diluted with a solvent compatible with the absorbent before it is contacted with the absorbent. 19. A process according to any one of Claims 1 to 18 wherein the reactor stream is subjected to oxidation to break clustered catalyst prior to being contacted with the acidic absorbent. 20. A process according to Claim 19 wherein the stream having been subjected to oxidation is treated to hydrocarbonylation. 21. A process according to any one of Claims 1 to 20 wherein the gaseous phase of the stripping medium additionally includes carbon monoxide.