Patent ID: 7227045

Claim:
A process for the preparation of linear alcohols by reacting an olefin-containing feed with carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the presence of a hydroformylation catalyst under hydroformylation conditions, wherein the olefin-containing feed is at least partly based on the mixture comprising C 5 + linear olefins produced by a process comprising the steps of (a) reacting carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the presence of a Fischer-Tropsch catalyst under Fischer-Tropsch reaction conditions thereby producing a hydrocarbon mixture; (b) separating, from the hydrocarbon mixture, at least one hydrocarbon fraction, of which at least 95% by weight consists of hydrocarbons containing 15 carbon atoms or more; (c) contacting the thus-separated hydrocarbon fraction with hydrogen in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst under hydrogenation conditions thereby producing a hydrogenated hydrocarbon fraction; (d) subjecting said hydrogenated hydrocarbon fraction to a mild thermal cracking treatment thereby producing a cracked product; and (e) separating, from the cracked product, a mixture comprising C 5 + linear olefins.