Patent · US Expired

Cobalt-catalyzed process for preparing 1,3-propanediol using a lipophilic bidentate phosphine promotor

US5545766A · kind A · utility

11Cited by
16References
14Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 30, 1994
Grant dateAug 13, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 30, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
  • CPC primaryC07C45/58
  • WIPO fieldOrganic fine chemistry
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

1,3-Propanediol is prepared in a process which involves reacting ethylene oxide with carbon monoxide and hydrogen in an essentially non-water-miscible solvent in the presence of a non-phosphine-ligated cobalt catalyst and a lipophilic bidentate phosphine promoter to produce an intermediate product mixture containing 3-hydroxypropanal in an amount less than 15 wt%; extracting the 3-hydroxypropanal from the intermediate product mixture into an aqueous liquid at a temperature less than about 100.degree. C. and separating the aqueous phase containing 3-hydroxypropanal from the organic phase containing cobalt catalyst; hydrogenating the 3-hydroxypropanal in the aqueous phase to 1,3-propanediol; and recovering the 1,3-propanediol. The process enables the production of 1,3-propanediol in high yield and selectivity without the use of a phosphine ligand-modified cobalt catalyst.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.