Manufacture of alkylcarboxylic acids

Abstract From the Canadian patent

Alkylcarboxylic acids CnH2n+1COOH (I) where n is from 2 to 18 are manufactured by hydroformylation of olefins CnH2n with carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the presence of rhodium catalysts at from 80 to 200°C and from 80 to 600 bars, followed by oxidation of the aldehydes first ob-, tained, with oxygen or oxygen-containing gases using a method, wherein the reaction mixture resulting from the hydroformylation is directly subjected to the oxidative treatment the carboxylic, acids are distilled from the mixture thus obtained and the lowvolatility distillation residue, containing rhodium is recycled, without additional treatment to the hydroformylation stage.