Process for production of motor fuel and phthalate esters or acyclic alcohols

Claim 1

A process for the simultaneous production of a C 8 to C 10 acyclic alcohol and a motor fuel blending stock which comprises the steps of: (a) passing a feed stream comprising a C 3 to C 4 olefin into an oligomerization zone operated at oligomerization-promoting conditions and effecting the production of an oligomerization zone effluent stream comprising C 6 to C 10 hydrocarbons including C 7 to C 9 acyclic olefinic hydrocarbons; (b) separating the oligomerization zone effluent stream into a light fraction comprising C 6 hydrocarbons, an intermediate fraction comprising C 7 to C 9 acyclic olefinic hydrocarbons and a heavy fraction comprising C 10 hydrocarbons; (c) contacting the intermediate fraction with a hydroformylation catalyst at hydroformylation conditions in admixture with carbon monoxide and hydrogen and effecting the production a hydroformylation zone effluent stream comprising C 8 to C 10 acyclic alcohols, C 8 to C 10 acyclic aldehydes and at least 20 mole percent C 7 to C 9 acyclic olefinic hydrocarbons, with the hydroformylation conditions being effective to result in less than 60 mole percent of any dialkyl olefins and less than 90 mole percent of any trialkyl olefins present in the feed stream from being converted in said hydroformylation zone; (d) passing the entire hydroformylation zone effluent stream through a hydrogenation zone operated at aldehyde hydrogenation conditions and effecting the formation of a hydrogenation zone effluent stream; (e) separating the hydrogenation zone effluent stream into a light fraction rich in C 7 to C 9 acyclic olefinic hydrocarbons withdrawn as a product stream and a heavy fraction rich in the C 8 to C 10 acyclic alcohol; and, (f) combining the light fraction of the hydrogenation zone effluent stream and the light and heavy fractions of the oligomerization zone effluent stream to form a product stream useful as motor fuel blending stock.