Cooling and catalyst recycle in oxo synthesis

Claim 1

IN AN EXOTHERMIC CARBONYLATION PROCESS WHEREIN OLEFINIC COMPOUNDS, CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN ARE CONTINUOUSLY CONTACTED IN AN INITIAL REACTION ZONE WITH A COBALT CARBONYLATION CATALYST UNDER ELEVATED TEMPERATURES AND PRESSURE TO PRODUCE REACTION PRODUCTS COMPRISING ALDEHYDES AND WHEREIN REACTION PRODUCTS, COBALT COMPOUNDS INCLUDING COBALT HYDROCARBONYLS, AND WATER, ARE WITHDRAWN FROM SAID INITIAL ZONE AND PASSED VIA A COOLING ZONE TO A GAS-LIQUID HIGH PRESSURE SEPARATION ZONE WHEREIN LIQUID PRODUCTS CONTAINING ALDEHYDE, WATER AND COBALT COMPOUNDS ARE SEPARATED FROM UNCONDENSED GASES, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES INITIALLY ADDING EXTRANEOUS WATER TO SAID FIRST-NAMED ZONE SEPARATING WATER AND WATER-SOLUBLE COBALT HYDROCARBONYL FROM SAID LIQUID PRODUCT, COOLING SAID WATER TO A TEMPERATURE SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER THAN THAT IN SAID INITIAL REACTION ZONE, AND PASSING AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID WATER AND DISSOLVED COBALT HYDROCARBONYL TO SAID INITIAL ZONE WHEREBY A HIGH CONCENTRATION OF ACTIVE CATALYST IS MAINTAINED IN SAID ZONE AND WHEREBY COOLING FOR SAID EXOTHERMIC PROCESS IS PROVIDED.