Oxo process

Claim 1

IN AN OXO PROCESS WHEREIN AN OLEFIN HAVING 7 TO 15 CARBON ATOMS PER MOLECULE IS REACTED WITH A CARBON MONOXIDE-HYDROGEN GAS IN THE PRESENCE OF AN OIL-SOLUBLE COBALT CATALYST IN A CONTINUOUS UP-FLOW OXOLATION ZONE UNDER OXOLATION CONDITIONS TO FORM OXO ALDEHYDES AND HIGH BOILING MATERIALS AND WHEREIN SAID HIGH BOILING MATERIALS ARE SEPARATED FROM OXO ALDEHYDES LEAVING THE OXOLATION REACTION ZONE BY FLASH-STEAM DISTILLATION AT LOW SUBATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE, THE MATERIAL LEAVING THE FLASH-STEAM DISTILLATION AS BOTTOMS COMPRISING ABOUT 20 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL STREAM CHARGED TO SAID FLASH-STEAM DISTILLATION THE IMPROVED METHOD OF OPERATION WHICH COMPRISES RECYCLING ABOUT THREE-FOURTHS OF SAID HIGH BOILING MATERIALS TO THE OXOLATION ZONE WITH ADDED WATER IN AN AMOUNT IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 1 TO 5 PERCENT BY WEIGHT BASED ON RECYCLED HIGH BOILING MATERIALS WHEREIN THE AMOUNT OF PRODUCEDD ALCOHOL AND ALDEHYDE IS INCREASED, THE AMOUNT OF BOTTOMS PRODUCTION IS DECREASED AND THE AMOUNT OF HYDROLYZABLE MATERIAL IN THE BOTTOMS IS INCREASED OVER THE AMOUNTS RESPECTIVELY WHICH ARE OBTAINED BY ALDEHYDE RECYCLE WITH THE ABSENCE OF ADDED WATER.