Regeneration of Rhodium Hydroformylation Catalysts
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Europâisches Patentamt à. European Patent Office (if) Publication number: O 015 379 Office européen des brevets Bl Kg) EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATION @ Dateof publication of patent spécification: 18.05.83 © Int. Cl.3: B 01 J 31/40, c 07 c 45/50, C 07 C 47/02 @^ ApplicationA ,• @ number:k 80100446.6oMnn„«* e (22) Date offiling: 29.01 .80 (54) Régénération of rhodium hydroformylation catalysts. (§) Priority: 12.02.79 US 11604 @ Proprietor: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY Patent Department 343 State Street Rochester, New York 1 4650 (US) (43) Date of publication of application: 17.09.80 Bulletin 80/19 @ Inventor: Dawes, John Leslie P.O. Box 7444 @ Publication of the grantof the patent: Longview Texas (US) 18.05.83 Bulletin 83/20 Inventor: Devon Jr., Thomas James P.O. Box 7444 Longview Texas (US) @ Designated Contracting States: DE FRGBNL (74) Représentative: Brandes, Jûrgen, Dipl.-Chem. Dr. et al, (56) Références cited: Thierschstrasse 8 EP - A - 0 000 685 D-8000 Munchen 22 (DE) FR - A - 2 258 357 US - A - 3 547 964 Note: Within nine months from the publication of the mention of the grant of the European patent, any person may give notice to the European Patent Office of opposition to the European patent granted. Notice of opposition shall be filed in a written reasoned statement. It shall not be deemed to have been filed until the opposition fee has been a. paid. (Art. 99(1) European convention). IU patent Courier Press, Leamington Spa, England This invention relates to the Oxo process for effective method for catalyst reactivation the hydroformylation of an unsaturated com- without significant loss of the valuable rhodium. pound, such as an a-olefin, by the reaction Several methods of regeneration have been of the unsaturated compound with carbon suggested in the prior art. U.S. Patent monoxide and hydrogen in the presence of a 3,555,098 described the use of water or caustic catalyst. More specifically, this invention relates as a wash for the catalyst. This method removes to a method of regenerating a rhodium catalyst such poisons as acids but has not been effective useful in such a hydroformylation reaction. for regeneration of the rhodium catalyst. In a hydroformylation reaction, which is Japanese Patent 73/43799 describes reduc- called the Oxo process, an unsaturated com- tion with hydrogen as a suitable regeneration pound, such as an a-olefin, is reacted with syn- method. Japanese Patent 74/94385 describes thesis gas which contains carbon monoxide and the use of molecular oxygen for regeneration of hydrogen to form an aldehyde of the un- the catalyst. saturated compound. For example, propylene is European patent application 0 00685 reacted with carbon monoxide and hydrogen in describes the treatment of a rhodium triaryl the presence of a suitable catalyst to form iso- phosphite complex catalyst, which comprises an butyraldehyde and n-butyraldehyde. oxidation reaction at a temperature of from 0 to Cobalt catalysts are known to be efficient 85°C until the ligand is completely oxidized. and effective catalysts for the hydroformylation French patent 22 58 357 describes a reaction. However, the cobalt catalysts produce regeneration method according to which an undesirable quantities of by-products such as organic solution containing the complex of paraffins, alcohols, acetals, aldol type products rhodium in combination with triphenylphos- and other high boiling products. In contrast, phine is submitted to a treatment with an rhodium catalysts are known to be more selec- aldehyde such as formaldehyde or isobutyralde- tive in the hydroformylation process and to hyde in presence of an acid. produce yields of the desired aldehydes as high None of these methods restores fresh as 99% and substantially less of the undesired catalyst activity without significant loss of by-products. Also, the rhodium catalysts can be rhodium. used at much lower temperatures and pres- Numerous catalyst regeneration procedures sures than the cobalt catalysts and as a result have been tried. These procedures included significantly lower equipment and utilities treating the inactive catalyst with hydrogen, requirements are needed to build and oper- carbon monoxide, synthesis gas (the combina- ate a hydroformylation facility using rhodium tion of carbon monoxide and hydrogen used in catalysts. the Oxo reaction); washing the inactive catalyst The rhodium catalysts that are used in a with water or aqueous caustic; refluxing the hydroformylation reaction are complexes of inactive catalyst with aqueous caustic or an rhodium in combination with a ligand or func- acetic acid anhydride mixture; treating the tional group that activates rhodium into a inactive catalyst with hydrochloric acid followed hydroformylation catalyst under reaction con- by a sodium isobutyrate wash; treating the ditions. There are many known ligands that can inactive catalyst with reducing agents, e.g., be used in the rhodium catalyst complex. For sodium borohydride in methanol or hydrazine in example, triaryl, trialkyl or mixed aryl alkyl ethanol; and treating the inactive catalyst with amines, phosphines, arsines or stilbines can be air in the absence of aldehyde. None of these used. The complex of rhodium and ligand reacts procedures proved adequate as a catalyst with the carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the reactivation method. synthesis gas to become even more com- The process of this invention for regenerat- plicated. For example, when rhodium and tri- ing a deactivated rhodium hydroformylation methylphosphine are reacted with carbon catalyst which has been removed from the monoxide and hydrogen, a complex material hydroformylation reaction, overcomes the whose structure is unknown is formed. problems of the prior art. The method of this During hydroformylation reactions, rhodium invention is characterized by catalysts become deactivated to a point where a) adding aldehyde to the deactivated they have insufficient activity to support an catalyst so that at least one mole of aldehyde is economical reaction. Normally a fully active present for each mole of rhodium and each rhodium catalyst complex is straw colored while mole of ligand, an inactive complex is black. Monitoring this b) oxidizing the aldehyde-containing catalyst color change is one practical method of deter- with an oxygen-containing gas at a tempera- mining if a catalyst is active or inactive. ture below the boiling point of the aldehyde The principal disadvantages of rhodium until substantially all the ligand is oxidized, catalysts for a hydroformylation reaction are the c) removing solid oxidized ligand formed extremely high capital investment needed for during the oxidation, and the initial catalyst charge and the lack of an d) adjusting the ligand to rhodium ratio of the regenerated catalyst for use in a hydroformyla- thereof. Air is then blown through the solution tion reaction. at a slow rate so the temperature of the mix- Optionally, it may be desirable to remove ture does not rise rapidly. As catalyst reactiva- some ligand from the catalyst prior to the tion proceeds the solution changes from a black adjustment of the aldehyde content. This will color to a straw color. From a few minutes (30 serve to reduce the amount of ligand lost during or less) to 48 hours or more are needed for the oxidation and to reduce the amount of alde- reactivation. Excess aldehyde and any acids hyde which must be added to achieve the formed during oxidation are then removed. The correct aldehyde/rhodium/ligand balance. In amount of aldehyde and air used in the oxida- addition, following oxidation, it may be desirable tion are controlled to minimize the formation of to treat the catalyst so as to remove any acid acid in the regeneration process. The solution is produced during the oxidation step. This then filtered to remove any solids, for example method results in a virtually complete reactiva- triphenylphosphine oxide, and returned to the tion of catalyst with minimal rhodium loss and it catalyst recycle stream with added phosphine. can be used repeatedly on the same catalyst Progress of the catalyst regeneration can be charge without the build-up of undesirable by- monitored by the change in color from the dark products. Surprisingly it has been found that deactivated form to the straw yellow of the this method is also effective in reactivating active form.. Regeneration is not complete until rhodium oxo catalysts which have been all the phosphine, etc., is oxidized to the poisoned by sulfur. phosphine oxide. When excess phosphine is The reactivation of the deactivated rhodium employed in the reaction it should be removed catalyst is carried out under mild reaction con- from the stream prior to regeneration and then ditions. Consequently, the reactivation of the replaced after the regeneration. catalyst can be accomplished in inexpensive In the following example triphenylphosphine equipment using ambient or atmospheric con- is represented by the symbol P03. ditions. An oxygen-containing gas, such as air, is used for the oxidation and the oxidation reac- Example tion is carried out at a temperature below the A sample of an oxo catalyst containing 1 boiling point of the aldehyde that is added to the mole of rhodium and 19 moles of triphenyl deactivated catalyst. Preferably, the oxidation phosphine, deactivated in propylene hydro- reaction is carried out at room temperature. formylation at 100°C. and 6792 kPa, was The aldehyde that is added to the deactivated removed from the reactor, stripped in vacuo and catalyst is preferably an aldehyde that is formed divided into four portions. The first portion was in the hydroformylation reaction. When an @- diluted with isobutyraldehyde to 55 ppm (parts olefin is being reacted in the hydroformylation per million) rhodium and tested for propylene process, a saturated aliphatic aldehyde such as hydroformylation at 100°C. and 6792 kPa. acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde, n-butyralde- Butyraldehydes were produced at a rate of 11 hyde, isobutyraldehyde or higher boiling alde- pounds per cubic foot (176 g/liter) per hour and hydes can be used.