Preparation of formic acid from carbon monoxide and water

US5334759A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• BASF SE

Inventors

• Ferdinand Lippert · Bad Dürkheim, DE
• Arthur Hoehn · Ludwigshafen, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 17, 1993
• Grant date: Aug 2, 1994
• Expiry date: Aug 17, 2013

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C07C51/10
• WIPO field: Organic fine chemistry
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A process for the preparation of formic acid by the reaction of carbon monoxide with water at temperatures of from 100.degree. to 250.degree. C. and absolute from 100 to 350 bar, in which tertiary amines of the general formula I ##STR1## in which R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3 individually denote C.sub.1 -C.sub.14 alkyl, C.sub.3 -C.sub.8 cycloalkyl, aryl, and C.sub.7 -C.sub.16 aralkyl or together denote a 1,4-alkylene group or 1,5-alkylene group optionally mono- to tetra-substituted by C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl, provided that the total number of carbon atoms in R.sup.1, R.sup.2, and R.sup.3 is from 3 to 40, are added to the reaction mixture.