Control of condensation products in hydroformylation process

Claim 1

In a process for producing aldehyde products by the rhodium catalyzed hydroformylation of alpha-olefins containing 2 to about 20 carbon atoms comprising: providing a liquid body of a homogeneous mixture containing olefin, aldehyde products and higher boiling aldehyde condensation products, a soluble rhodium catalyst complexed with carbon monoxide and triarylphosphine, at least 10 moles of free triarylphosphine being present for each mole of rhodium metal, the liquid body also containing iron salt contaminants which promote the formation of said condensation products; suppling to the liquid body a gaseous stream comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide maintaining the temperature of the liquid body at 50° C. to about 130° C., the total pressure at less than about 400 psia, the improvement which comprises removing said iron salts from the liquid body by complexation with an aqueous solution of a sequestering agent, and thereafter removing the resulting iron complex in a separate aqueous phase.