Patent EA-000685-B1 (EA)
Title: Hydroformulation process
Inventor: KISS GABOR
IPC: C07C47/02
Filed: 1996-01-17
Abstract: 1. A process for the hydroformylation of a hydrocarbon-containing feedstream which comprises contacting a feedstream containing from 27.5 to 75 percent by weight of ethylene, based on the total hydrocarbon content, and having a total olefin content of at most 80% by weight, based on the total hydrocarbon content, with synthesis gas under hydroformylation conditions in the presence of a rhodium-containing catalyst and recovering a hydroformylation product. 2. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the feedstream is derived from ethane. 3. A process as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the source of the feedstream is the product of a steam cracker. 4. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the source of the feedstream to hydroformylation is compressed, washed with an aqueous alkaline solution and washed with water to form the feedstream. 5. A process as claimed in claim 4, wherein the feedstream is dried to form a dry feedstream. 6. A process as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the feedstream or dry feedstream is hydrogenated, fractionated, and deoxygenated before hydroformylation. 7. A process as claimed in any one of claims l to 6, wherein the hydrocarbon content of the feedstream is at least 50% by weight. 8. A process as claimed in claim 7, therein the hydrocarbon content of the feedstream is at least 80% by weight. 9. A process as claimed in any one of claims l to 8, wherein the feedstream contains at most 2% by weight of acetylene. 10. A process as claimed in claim 9, wherein the feedstream is substantially free from acetylene. 11. A process as claimed in any one of claims l to 10, wherein the feedstream contains from 30 to 75% by weight ethylene, based on its total hydrocarbon content. 12. A process as claimed in any one of claims l to 11, wherein the feedstream contains from 45 to 60% by weight ethylene, based on its total hydrocarbon content. 13. A process as claimed in any one of claims l to 12, wherein the feedstream contains at most 10% by weight molecular nitrogen. 14. A process as claimed in any one of claim 1 to 13, wherein the feedstream contains at most 10 wppm oxygen. 15. A process as claimed in any one of claims l to 14, wherein the feedsteam contains a total of at most 1 wppm sulphur-, chlorine-, and nitrogen-containing compounds. 16. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the catalyst is rhodium complexed with carbon monoxide and a triorganophosphorus compound. 17. A process as claimed in claim 16, wherein the compound is triphenylphosphine. 18. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the catalyst is in solution. 19. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein at least 80% of the ethylene in the hydrocarbon-containing feedstream is hydroformylated. 20. A process as claimed in any one of claims l to 19, wherein hydroformylation is carried out in at least two different reaction zones. 21. A process as claimed in claim 20, wherein the severity of the reaction conditions in at least a second reaction zone is greater than that in a preceding zone. 22. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 21, wherein at least 70% of the ethylene is hydroformylated in a first reaction zone and at least 70% of the remaining ethylene is hydroformylated in a second reaction zone. 23. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein hydroformylation is carried out in at least two separate reactors. 24. A process as claimed in claim 23, wherein at least one reactor operates as a stirred tank reactor and at least one reactor operates in plug flow mode. 25. A process as claimed in claim 23, wherein there are used at least two stirred tank reactors, within which the catalyst is in a liquid phase and ethylene is in a gaseous phase. 26. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the hydroformylation product is propanal.