Process for the production of aliphatic and cycloaliphatic monocarboxylic acid alkyl esters

Claim 1

IN THE PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ALIPHATIC AND CYCLOALIPHATIC MONOCARBOXYLIC ACID ALKYL ESTERS BY REACTING AN OLEFINE HAVING AT LEAST 6 CARBON ATOMS IN ITS MOLECULE WITH CARBON MONOXIDE AND AN ALIPHATIC ALCOHOL OF LOW MOLECULAR WEIGHT IN THE PRESENCE OF AN ACID CATALYST CONTAINING BORON FLUORIDE, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES IN A FIRST STAGE REACTING AN OLEFINE WITH CARBON MONOXIDE AT AN ELEVATED PRESSURE IN THE PRESENCE OF A CATALYST CONSISTING OF A MIXTURE OF A HYDROXYYY FLUOBORIC ACID AND AN ALKOXY FLUOBORIC ACID, BOTH IN SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS, SAID CATALYST CONTAINING AT LEAST 1 MOL AND AT THE MOST 2 MOLS OF WATER IN BOUND FORM PLUS AN ALCOHOL WHICH IS A MEMBER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF METHANOL, ETHANOL AND PROPANOL IN BOUND FORM PER MOL OF BORON FLUORIDE, THEREAFTER IN A SECOND STAGE ADDING TO THE REACTION MIXTURE AN ALCOHOL WHICH ALCOHOL IS IDENTICAL WITH THE ALCOHOL COMPONENT OF THE CATALYST MIXTURE FOR SEPARATING THE CATALYST FROM THE REACTION PRODUCT WHICH PRODUCT CONSISTS OF A MAJOR AMOUNTS OF A MONO-CARBOXYLIC ACID ALKYL ESTER AND A MINOR AMOUNT OF A FREE MONO-CARBOXYLIC ACID AND SEPARATELY RECOVERING SAID ESTER AND SAID ACID.