Hydrogenation of oxo aldehydes in the presence of sulfactive catalysts and water

Claim 1

AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR PRODUCING ALCOHOLS WHICH COMPRISES PASSING OLEFINC COMPOUNDS, CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN TO A CARBONYLATION ZONE, CONTACTING SAID OLEFINIC COMPOUNDS WITH CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN AND A COBALT CARBONYLATION CATALYST IN SAID ZONE UNDER CONDITONS TO FORM AN ALDEHYDE PRODUCT CONTAINING ONE MORE CARBON ATOM PER MOLECULE THAN SAID OLEFINI COMPOUNDS AS WELL AS SECONDARY REACTION PRODUCTS COMPRISING ACETALS AND WATER, PASSING A LIQUID PRODUCT COMPRISING SAID ALDEHYDES, ACETALS, WATER AND DISSOLVED COBALT CARBONYL TO A CATALYST DECOMPOSITION ZONE WHEREIN SAID LIQUID PRODUCT IS SUBJECTED TO CATALYST DECOMPOSITION CONDITIONS WHEREBY COBALT CARBONYL IS DECOMPOSED INTO PRODUCTS INCLUDING CARBON MONOXIDE, WITHDRAWING LIQUID REACTION PRODUCTS INCLUDING ALDEHYDES, ACETALS, WATER AND CARBON MONOXIDE FROM SAID CATALYST DECOMPOSITION ZONE, PASSING SAID PRODUCTS TO A HYDROGENATION ZONE, SUBJECTING THE ALDEHYDE-CONTAINING PRODUCTS SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF COBALT TO A HYDROGENATION REACTION INTHE PRESENCE OF A SULFACTIVE HYDROGENATION CATALYST SUPPORTED ON PREFORMED ACTIVATED CARBON PELLETS AT PRESSURES OF FROM ABOUT 1500 TO ABOUT 4500 P.S.I.G. AND TEMPERATURES OF FROM ABOUT 400 TO ABOUT 600 P.S.I.G.ADDING 1 TO 10 WEIGHT PERCENT OF WATER BASED ON THE ALDEHYDE-CONTAINING PRODUCTS FED TO SAID HYDROGENATION ZONE, AND WITHDRAWING AN ALCOHOL PRODUCT FROM SAID LAST-NAMED ZONE.