Process for oxidizing olefins to aldehydes and ketones

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE CONVERSION OF AN OLEFINIC HYDROCARBON TO A CARBONYL COMPOUND SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALDEHYDES AND KETONES BY OXIDATION OF AN OLEFINIC CARBON ATOM OF SAID OLEFINIC HYDROCARBON TO A CARBONYL GROUP, WHICH PROCESS CONSISTS ESSENTIALLY OF CONTACTING SAID OLEFINIC HYDROCARBON AND OXYGEN, IN A NEUTRAL TO ACID MEDIUM, WITH WATER VAPOR AND A SUPPORTED SOLID CATALYST OF (A) A SALT OF A NOBLE METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF PALLADIUM, IRIDIUM, RUTHENIUM, RHODIUM, AND PLATINUM, AND (B) AS A REDOX SYSTEM, AN INORGANIC SALT OF A METAL SHOWING SEVERAL VALENCE STATES UNDER THE REACTION CONDITIONS APPLIED, SAID CONTACTING BEING EFFECTED BY PASSING THE REACTANTS THROUGH A SUCCESSIVE PLURALITY OF CONTACT ZONES WHEREIN THE REACTANTS ARE CONTACTED WITH THE CATALYST TO OXIDIZE AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID OLEFINIC HYDROCARBON, AND OF COOLING ZONES, ALTERNATING WITH SAID CONTACT ZONES, WHEREIN REACTION PRODUCTS AND UNREATED REACTANTS ARE CONTACTED WITH WATER TO ABSORB THE EXOTHERMIC HEAT OF REACTION DEVELOPED IN THE PRECEDING CONTACT ZONE BEFORE PASSING TO THE NEXT SUCCEEDING CONTACT ZONE.