Process for removing metal contaminants from organic mixtures

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR DEMETALING A METAL CONTAMINATED ALDEHYDIC PRODUCT MADE BY REACTING AN OLEFINIC HYDROCARBON WITH CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN IN AN OXO REACTION STAGE AT AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE IN THE PRESENCE OF A COBALT CARBONYHLATION CATALYST SUPPLIED TO SAID REACTION STAGE AT LEAST IN PART IN THE FORM OF AN OIL SOLUBLE FATTY ACID SALT WHICH COMPRISES MIXING SAID METAL COMTIMINATED ALDEHYDIC PRODUCT IN A CONTACTING STAGE AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN ABOUT 90* AND 400* F. WITH ABOUT 4 TO 60 VOLUME PERCENT OF AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION CONTAINING AT LEAST ABOUT 0.5 WEIGHT PERCENT OF DISSOLVE COBALT AND ABOUT 0.05 TO 10 VOLUME PERCENT OF A FREE FATTY ACID OF 1 TO 3 PER MOLECULE, THE AMOUNT OF SAID FREE ACID BEING SUFFICIENT TO CONVERT SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE METAL CONTAINED IN SAID ALDEHYDIC PRODUCT INTO WATER SOLUBLE COMPOUNDS, PASSING THE RESULTING MIXTURE TO A SETTLING STAGE, MAINTAINING THE SAID MIXTURE IN THE SETTLING STAGE INTIL THERE OCCURS SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE SEPARATION INTO A DEMETALED ALDEHYDIC PHASE CONTAINING LESS THAN 50 PARTS PER MILLION OF COBALT AND AN AQUEOUS PHASE, RECYCLING AT LEAST A PART OF THE RESULTING SEPARATED AQUEOUS PHASE FROM SAID SETTLING STAGE TO THE AFORESAID CONTACTING STAGE, AND WITHDRAWING SAID DEMETALED ALDEHYDIC PRODUCT FROM THE SETTLING STAGE.