Patent EA-001650-B1 (EA)
Title: Improved metal-legand complex catalyzed process
Inventor: BRYANT DAVID ROBERT
IPC: F04D29/28
Filed: 1996-12-05
Abstract: 1. A process for separating one or more phosphorus acidic compounds from a reaction product fluid or stabilising an organophosphite ligand against hydrolytic degradation and/or a metal-organophosphite ligand complex catalyst against deactivation or preventing and/or lessening hydrolytic degradation of any said organophosphite ligand and deactivation of said metal-organophosphite ligand complex catalyst, wherein said method comprises (a) treating said reaction product fluid, formed during the process of hydroformylation, said product fluid contains a metal-organophosphite ligand complex catalyst and optionally free organophosphite ligand and 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) which process comprises treating the water which contains phosphorus acidic compounds removed from said reaction product fluid with an ion exchange resin sufficient to remove at least some amount of said one or more phosphorus acidic compounds from said water. 2. A process according Claim 1 which comprises (i) reacting in at least one reaction zone one or more reactants in the presence of a metal-organophosphite ligand complex catalyst and optionally free organophosphite ligand to produce a reaction product fluid comprising one or more products and (ii) separating in at least one separation zone or in said at least one reaction zone the one or more products from said reaction product fluid, the improvement comprising preventing and/or lessening hydrolytic degradation of any said organophosphite ligand and deactivation of said metal-organophosphite ligand complex catalyst by (a) treating in at least one scrubber zone at least a portion of said reaction product fluid derived from said process and which also contains phosphorus acidic compounds formed during said process with water sufficient to remove at least some amount of the phosphorus acidic compounds from said reaction product fluid and (b) treating in at least one ion exchange zone at least a portion of the water which contains phosphorus acidic compounds removed from said reaction product fluid with one or more ion exchange resins sufficient to remove at least some amount of the phosphorus acidic compounds from said water. 3. A process according Claim 2 which comprises returning the treated reaction product fluid from stage (a) to said at least one reaction zone or said at least one separation zone, before stage (b) and the treated water from stage (b) is returned to said at least one scrubber zone. 4. A process according Claim 2 which comprises (a) withdrawing from said at least one reaction zone or said at least one separation zone at least a portion of a reaction product fluid derived from said process and which also contains phosphorus acidic compounds formed during said process, (b) treating in at least one scrubber zone at least a portion of the withdrawn reaction product fluid derived from said process and which also contains phosphorus acidic compounds formed during said process with water sufficient to remove at least some amount of the phosphorus acidic compounds from said reaction product fluid, (c) returning the treated reaction product fluid to said at least one reaction zone or said at least one separation zone, (d) withdrawing from said at least one scrubber zone at least a portion of said water which contains phosphorus acidic compounds removed from said reaction product fluid, (e) treating in at least one ion exchange zone at least a portion of the withdrawn water which contains phosphorus acidic compounds removed from said reaction product fluid with one or more ion exchange resins sufficient to remove at least some amount of the phosphorus acidic compounds from said water, (f) returning the treated water to said at least one scrubber zone, and (g) optionally regenerating said one or more ion exchange resins. 5. A process according Claim 2 wherein stage (a) is carried out by introduction of water into said at least one reaction zone and/or at least one separation zone in amount sufficient to remove at least some amount of phosphorus acidic compounds from said reaction product fluid. 6. A process according Claim 2 which comprises (a) withdrawing from said at least one reaction zone or said at least one separation zone at least a portion of a reaction product fluid derived from said process and which also contains phosphorus acidic compounds formed during said process, (b) treating in at least one scrubber zone at least a portion of the withdrawn reaction product fluid derived from said process and which also contains phosphorus acidic compounds formed during said process with water sufficient to remove at least some amount of the phosphorus acidic compounds from said reaction product fluid, (c) returning the treated reaction product fluid to said at least one reaction zone or said at least one separation zone, (d) treating in at least one scrubber zone at least a portion of withdrawn water which contains phosphorus acidic compounds removed from said reaction product fluid with one or more ion exchange resins sufficient to remove at least some amount of the phosphorus acidic compounds from said water, and (e) optionally regenerating said one or more ion exchange resins. 7. A process according Claim 2 which comprises (a) withdrawing from said at least one reaction zone or said at least one separation zone at least a portion of a reaction product fluid derived from said process and which also contains phosphorus acidic compounds formed during said process, (b) treating in at least one scrubber zone at least a portion of the withdrawn reaction product fluid derived from said process and which also contains phosphorus acidic compounds formed during said process with water sufficient to remove at least some amount of the phosphorus acidic compounds from said reaction product fluid, (c) returning the treated reaction product fluid to said at least one reaction zone or said at least one separation zone, (d) treating in at least one scrubber zone at least a portion of withdrawn water which contains phosphorus acidic compounds removed from said reaction product fluid with one or more amines sufficient to remove at least some amount of the phosphorus acidic compounds from said water, and (e) optionally replacing said one or more amines. 8. A process according Claim 2 which comprises treating at least a portion of the reaction product fluid derived from said process and which also contains phosphorus acidic compounds formed during said process by introducing one or more amines into at least one reaction zone and/or at least one separation zone in amount sufficient to remove at least some amount of phosphorus acidic compounds from said reaction product fluid. 9. A process according Claim 2 which comprises treating at least a portion of the reaction product fluid derived from said process and which also contains phosphorus acidic compounds formed during said process by introducing one or more phosphines into at least one reaction zone and/or at least one separation zone in amount sufficient to remove at least some amount of phosphorus acidic compounds from said reaction product fluid. 10. The process according any of Claims 1-6 wherein the ion exchange resin comprises a strong base anion exchange resin or a weak base anion exchange resin. 11. The process according any of Claims 1-9 wherein said metal-organophosphite ligand complex catalyst is homogeneous or heterogeneous one. 12. The process according any of Claims 1-9 wherein said reaction product 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 processes. 13. The process according any of Claims 2-9 wherein said separating of one or more products from the reaction product fluid occurs prior to or after treating at least a portion of the reaction product fluid derived from said processes and which also contains phosphorus acidic compounds formed during said processes with water. 14. The process according any of Claims 1-9 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_. 15 The process according any of Claims 1-9 wherein phosphorus acidic compounds present in the reaction product fluid are scavenged by an organic nitrogen compound that is also present in said reaction product fluid and