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