Production of butanediol

Claim 2

A process for the preparation of 1,4-butanediol and 2-methyl-1,3-propane diol by hydroformylating 2-vinyl-5-methyl-1,3-dioxane with carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the presence of a hydroformylation catalyst under conventional conditions and then hydrogenating and hydrolyzing the hydroformylation reaction product, in the presence of water and a hydrogenation catalyst under conventional conditions.

Claim 3

The process of claim 1 wherein the 2-vinyl-5-methyl-1,3-dioxane is hydroformylated by reacting it with hydrogen and carbon monoxide for about one-five hours at a molar ratio of H 2 :CO of 0.9:1 - 1.2:1 in the presence of a rhodium carbonyl catalyst at a molar ratio to the cyclic acetal of 0.5 × 10 - 3 - 6.0 × 10 - 3 and a phosphite having the formula ##STR28## wherein R 1 , R 2 and R 3 are the same or different alkyl groups having 1 - 12 carbon atoms or phenyl at a molar ratio to the rhodium catalyst of about 5:1 - 50:1 at a temperature of 85° - 110° C and a pressure of about 75 - 150 psig.

Claim 4

The process of claim 2 wherein R 1 , R 2 and R 3 are the same alkyl groups having 1- 3 carbon atoms.

Claim 5

The process of claim 2 wherein the reaction is carried out for about 1 - 2 hours.

Claim 6

The process of claim 2 wherein the molar ratio of H 2 :CO is 1:1.

Claim 7

The process of claim 2 wherein the molar ratio of the rhodium catalyst to the cyclic acetal is 1 × 10 - 3 - 2 × 10 - 3 .

Claim 8

The process of claim 2 wherein the molar ratio of the phosphite to the rhodium catalyst is 10:1 - 20:1.

Claim 9

The process of claim 2 wherein the temperature is 100° - 110° C. and the pressure is 100 - 110 psig.

Claim 10

The process of claim 1 wherein the hydroformylation reaction product is mixed with water at a molar ratio of water to reaction product of 1:1 - 20:1 and then hydrolyzed and hydrogenated in the presence of a catalytic amount of a hydrogenation catalyst at a temperature of 30° - 130° C. and a pressure of 100 - 5,000 psig.