| abstract |
Described is a method of preparing aldehydes, or aldehydes and alcohols, by the hydroformylation of olefins with more than three carbon atoms, the method including a hydroformylation stage in which the olefin is hydroformylated at a pressure of 50 to 1,000 bar and a temperature of 50 to 180 DEG C by means of a rhodium catalyst dissolved in a homogeneous reaction medium and a catalyst-recovery stage in which the rhodium catalyst is extracted using an aqueous solution of a complexing agent, the alcohol and/or alkdehyde is isolated from the extracted hydroformylation products, the aqueous rhodium-containing extract is carbonylated in the presence of carbon monoxide, synthesis gas or a gas mixture containing carbon monoxide at a pressure of 50 to 1,000 bar and a temperature of 50 to 180 DEG C, the carbonylation products separated into an organic phase containing most of the rhodium and an aqueous phase containing the complexing agent and the organic phase is fed back to the hydroformylation stage, the rhodium catalyst obtained from the products of the hydroformylation stage being extracted with an aqueous solution of a water-soluble polymer, without any sulphonic acid groups, capable of forming a complex with rhodium. |