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 HYDROCARBONS TO A CARBONYL GROUP WHICH PROCESS COMPRISES CONTACTING AN OLEFINIC HYDROCARBON HAVING 2 TO 8 CARBON ATOMS AND OXYGEN, WITH AN ACID TO NEUTRAL LIUQID CATALYST OF WATER, A SALT OF A NOBLE METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF PALLADIUM, IRIDIUM, RUTHENIUM, RHODIUM, AND PLATINUM, AND AS AN INORGANIC REDOX SYSTEM, A SALT OF A METAL SHOWING SEVERAL VALENCE STATES UNDER THE REACTION CONDITIONS APPLIED, BY INTRODUCING SAID OLEFINICH HYDROCARBON AND OXYGEN INTO SAID LIQUID CATALYST, STREAMING SAID CATALYST UPWARDS BY THE BUOYANT ACTION OF THE REACTANT GASES INTRODUCED, WHEREBY GASEOUS REACTANTS AND REACTION PRODUCTS BECOME ADMIXED WITH SAID LIQUID CATALYST, ARRESTING THE UPWARD STREAMING OF THE LIQUID CATALYST BY INTRODUCING THE CATALYST INTO A QUIESCENT ZONE WHEREIN GASEOUS COMPONENTS ADMIXED WITH THE LIQUID CATALYST ESCAPE FROM THE LIQUID CATALYST, WITHDRAWING SAID GASEOUS COMPONENTS, AND RECYCLING THE LIQUID CATALYST TO THE REACTION.