Production of mono- and di-esters of glycols by oxidation of olefins with a palladous salt in presence of a carboxylic acid, a redox system, an alkali metal halide, carboxylate ions and molecular oxygen

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE OXIDATION OF OLEFINIC HYDROCARBONS HAVING AT LEAST ONE HYDROGEN ATOM ATTACHED TO ONE OF THE CARBON ATOMS FORMING PART OF THEDOUBLE BOND TO AN ESTERCONTAINING PRODUCT HAVING A TOTAL CONTENT OF MONO-ESTERS AND DI-ESTERS OF GLYCOLS OF AT LEST 30 MOLAR PERCENT BASED ON THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF ORGANIC COMPOUNDS PRODUCED, WHICH COMPRISES THE STEP OF CONTACTING AT A TEMPERATURE OF 50* TO 160*C. THE OLEFINIC HYDROCARBON AT A PARTIAL PRESSURE OF AT MOST 10 ATMOSPHERES WITH THE SOLUTION CONTAINING A CARBOXYLIC ACID SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALIPHATIC AND AROMATIC MONOCARBOXYLIC ACIDS, CARBOXYLATE IONS ADDITIONAL TO THOSE DERIVED FROM THE CARBOXYLIC ACID AND A PALLADOUS SALT, THE REACTION BEING CARRIED OUT INN THE PRESENCE OF A REDOX SYSTEM, MOLECULAR OXYGEN, LESS THAN 15% BY WEIGHT OF WATER AND AN ALKALI METAL HALIDE SO THAT, ASSUMING COMPLETE IONISATION, THE HALIDE: PALLADOUS GRAM-ION RATIO IS GREATER THAN 6:1 AND THE HALIDE: TOTAL CARBOXYLATE GRAM-ION RATIO IS AT LEAST 6:10.