Process for the production of ethanol and/or acetaldehyde by reacting methanol with synthesis gas

US4262154A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• The British Petroleum Company Limited · GB

Inventors

• Brian R. Gane · Weybridge, GB
• David G. Stewart · Epsom, GB

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 1, 1979
• Grant date: Apr 14, 1981
• Expiry date: Oct 1, 1999

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02P20/52
• WIPO field: Organic fine chemistry
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

Ethanol and/or acetaldehyde is (are) produced by reacting methanol and synthesis gas at elevated temperature and pressure in the presence of a catalyst consisting of (a) cobalt, (b) an iodide or a bromide and (c) a polydentate ligand wherein the donor atoms are selected from nitrogen, phosphorus, arsenic, antimony and bismuth, ethanol being the predominant product when the donor atoms are exclusively nitrogen or phosphorus, particularly phosphorus, and acetaldehyde being the major product when the donor atoms are exclusively arsenic, antimony or bismuth. A particularly effective polydentate ligand is one having the formula: EQU (R.sup.1)(R.sup.2)X--[C(R.sup.5)(R.sup.6)].sub.n --Y(R.sup.3)(R.sup.4) (II) in which X and Y are independently nitrogen, phosphorus, arsenic, antimony or bismuth; n is an integer; (R.sup.1), (R.sup.2), (R.sup.3) and (R.sup.4) are independently saturated monovalent organic radicals containing from 1 to 20 carbon atoms. Examples of polydentate ligands which are effective in the production of ethanol are those having the formula (II) in which (R.sup.1), (R.sup.2), (R.sup.3) and (R.sup.4) are C.sub.6 H.sub.5 --, X and Y are phosphorus and n has the value 4 to 6.