Patent ID: 8785678

Claim:
A continuous process for the carbonylation of ethylene in a liquid phase using carbon monoxide in the presence of a co-reactant having a mobile hydrogen atom and a suitable catalyst system comprising the steps of: (i) forming a liquid phase comprising the co-reactant having a mobile hydrogen atom and the suitable catalyst system; the catalyst system obtainable by combining: (a) a metal of Group 8, 9 or 10 or a suitable compound thereof; (b) a ligand of general formula (I) wherein the groups X 3 and X 4 independently represent univalent radicals of up to 30 atoms or X 3 and X 4 together form a bivalent radical of up to 40 atoms and X 5 has up to 400 atoms; Q 1 represents phosphorus, arsenic or antimony; and c) optionally, a source of anions; (ii) forming a gaseous phase in contact with the liquid phase by providing at least an ethylene gas input feed stream and a carbon monoxide gas input feed stream wherein the ethylene:CO molar ratio entering the liquid phase from the input feed streams is greater than 2:1; and (iii) reacting ethylene with carbon monoxide in the presence of the co-reactant, and of the suitable catalyst system in the liquid phase; wherein the ethylene:CO gas molar ratio in the gaseous phase is between 20:1 and 1000:1.