ARCO hydroformylation process

Functional Olefin Hydroformylation. There has been widespread academic (18,19) and industrial (20) interest in functional olefin hydroformylation as a route to polyfiinctional molecules, eg, diols. There are two commercially practiced oxo processes employing functionalized olefin feedstocks. Akyl alcohol hydroformylation is carried out by Arco under Hcense from Kuraray (20,21). 1,4-Butanediol [110-63 ] is produced by successive hydroformylation of aHyl alcohol [107-18-6] aqueous extraction of the intermediate 2-hydroxytetrahydrofuran, and subsequent hydrogenation. 

Thirdly, separation of catalyst and products can be conveniently achieved by extraction with water if the products are water-soluble, e.g., in the hydroformylation of ally] alcohol [10, 11]. In the ARCO process the hydroformylation products are extracted (more than 99%) from the organic reaction medium containing the con-... 

The Type IV concept has been commercialized for the first time in the Rh-catalyzed hydroformylation of polar feed to polar product allyl alcohol (AA) conversion to 4-hydroxybutanal (for production of 1,4-butanediol (BDO)) [46]. This process was developed by Kuraray and Daicel Chemical Industries [47, 48] and commercialized in 1990 by Arco (Lyondell since 1998) [49], and is described in Figure 6. 

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