Manufacture of carboxyl compounds

Claim 1

THE CATALYTIC PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION OF LOWER ALIPHATIC PRODUCTS INCLUDING LOWER ALIPHATIC ACIDS AND ANHYDRIDES OF LOWER ALIPHATIC ACIDS WHICH COMPRISES REACTING A LOWER ALIPHATIC ORGANIC COMPOUND FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF LOWER ALIPHATIC OLEFINS, ETHERS, ESTERS, AND ALCOHOLS WITH CARBON MONOXIDE AND AT LEAST ONE COMPONENT FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF WATER AND LOWER ALIPHATIC ACIDS, AND REACTION BEING CARRIED OUT IN THE PRESENCE OF AN AMOUNT OF A THREECOMPONENT CATALYST, THE WEIGHT OF WHICH THREECOMPONENT CATALYST DOES NOT EXCEED 20% OF THE WEIGHT OF THE LOWER ALIPHATIC PRODUCT PRODUCED, THE REACTION BEING CARRIED OUT AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN 150*C. AND 400*C. AND AT A PRESSURE BETWEEN 40 ATMOSPHERES AND 700 ATMOSPHERES, THE CHARACTERIZING FEATURES OF WHICH COMPRISE CONDUCTING SUCH REACTION IN THE PRESENCE OF A THREE-COMPONENT CATALYST GENERATED FROM A THREE-COMPONENT MIXTURE WHICH COMPRISES (1) A HALIDE OF A CARBONYL-FORMING METAL FROM THE EIGHTH GROUP OF THE PERIODIC SYSTEM, (2) AN ACCEPTOR SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF NICKEL AND COBALT AND (3) A PROMOTER COMPRISING AN ALKALI METAL HALIDE.