Process for preparing esters and acetals by the oxidation of olefins

Claim 1

IN THE OXIDATION OF AN OLEFIN HAVING FROM ABOUT 2 TO ABOUT 5 CARBONS TO VALUABLE OXYGENATED COMPOUNDS SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF ACETALS AND UNSATURATED ESTERS OF CARBOXYLIC ACIDS WHEREIN OXYGEN AND SAID OLEFIN ARE INTRODUCED INTO A REACTION ZONE TO CONTACT THEREIN A SUBSTANTIALLY ANHYDROUS ORGANIC REACTION MEDIUM CONTAINING CATALYTIC AMOUNTS OF A PLATINUM GROUP METAL AND COMPRISING A REACTANT SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF ALIPHATIC CARBOXYLIC ACIDS AND MONOHYDROXY ALCOHOLS HAVING FROM 1 TO ABOUT 20 CARBONS TO PREPARE AN UNSATURATED ESTER OF SAID CARBOXYLIC ACID WHEN SAID REACTION MEDIUM IS SELECTED TO CONTAIN SAID CARBOXYLIC ACID AND TO PREPARE AN ACETAL OF SAID ALCOHOL WHEN SAID REACTION MEDIUM IS SELECTED TO CONTAIN SAID ALCOHOL, WHEREIN SAID REACTION ZONE IS MAINTAINED AT TEMPERATURES BETWEEN ABOUT 50* AND ABOUT 200* CENTIGRADE AND SUFFICIENT PRESSURES TO MAINTAIN LIQUID PHASE CONDITIONS AND WHEREIN A CATALYST CONTAINING EFFLUENT IS WITHDRAWN FROM SAID REACTION ZONE; THE IMPROVED METHOD FOR PREVENTING THE FORMATION OF TENACIOUS DEPOSITS OF THE PLATINUM METAL UPON THE SURFACES OF EQUIPMENT AND VESSEL CONTACTED BY SAID EFFLUENT THAT COMPRISES SEPARATING SAID EFFLUENT INTO GAS AND LIQUID STREAMS, ANALYZING THE GAS STREAM SO SEPARATED FOR FREE OXYGEN CONTENT AND CONTROLLING THE RELATIVE RATE OF OXYGEN INTRODUCTION INTO SAID REACTION ZONE SO AS TO MAINTAIN SAID OXYGEN CONTENT LESS THAN ABOUT 1.0 VOLUEM PERCENT AND THEREBY MAINTAIN SAID CATALYST IN SAID REACTOR EFFLUENT IN A REDUCED STATE; DOSTILLING SAID LIQUID STREAM TO RECOVER THE VOLATILE PRODUCTS FROM A LIQUID RESIDUE AND RETURNING SAID LIQUID RESIDUE AND SAID CATALYST TO SAID REACTION ZONE.