| abstract |
A process for the preparation of aldehydes or aldehydes and alcohols by hydroformylation of olefins containing more than 3 carbon atoms comprising a hydroformylation stage, in which the olefin is hydroformylated under a pressure of from 50 to 1000 bar and at a temperature of from 50° to 180° C. using a rhodium catalyst that is dissolved in a homogeneous reaction medium and by extraction of the rhodium catalyst, in which n a) the hydroformylation is carried out in the presence of a rhodium complex, which exhibits, as ligand, a polydentate, organic nitrogen compound that is free from phosphorus and capable of forming complexes with Group VIII metals, which additionally contains at least one tertiary nitrogen radical that is capable of being protonized by a weak acid, n b) the effluent of the hydroformylation stage is subjected to extraction with an aqueous solution of a distillable acid optionally following separation or partial separation of aldehydes and alcohols, n (c) the aqueous acid extract is subjected to thermal treatment in the presence of an organic solvent or solvent mixture, which is inert under the hydroformylation conditions, with distillation of the aqueous acid, by means of which treatment the complex is deprotonized and transferred to the organic phase, and n (d) the organic phase containing the catalyst complex is recycled to the hydroformylation stage. |