Preparation of metallic hydrocarbonyls

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF PREPARING AND SEPARATING AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF A COBALTOUS SALT OF COBALT HYDROCARBONYL SUITABLE FOR CATALYZING A REACTION OF AN OLEFINIC CARBON COMPOUND WITH CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN WHICH COMPRISES INITIALLY TREATING AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF AN ORGANIC COBALT SALT WHICH SUPPLIES CO++ IOS WITH A GASEOUS MIXTURE OF HYDROGEN AND CARBON MONOXIDE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN INERT OXYGENATED ORGANIC SOLVENT THEREFOR, PRIOR TO CONTACTING SAID SOLUTION WITH ORGANIC REACTANTS AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN ABOUT 90* AND 180* C. UNDER AN ELEVATED PRESSURE, MAINTAINING THE ORGANIC COBALT SALT IN THE RESULTING LIQUID REACTION MIXTURE IN SUCH QUANTITY THAT IT PROVIDES COBALTOUS IONS AT LEAST IN SUFFICIENT AMOUNTS TO COMBINE WITH ALL CO(CO4)-IONS PRESENT IN THE AQUEOUS PHASE TO FORM THE COBALT SALT OF COBALT HYDROCARBONYL, DISCHARGING UNCONVERTED GASES FROM THE RESULTING REACTION MIXTURE, SEPARATING THE RESIDUAL LIQUID REACTION MIXTURE INTO AN ORGANIC LIQUID PHASE AND AN AQUEOUS LIQUID PHASE CONTAINING THE COBALTOUS SALT OF COBALT HYDROCARBONYL.