Claims
- 1. The process of making an alkane polyol(s) which comprises reacting a mixture consisting essentially of oxides of carbon and hydrogen in the presence of a rhodium carbonyl complex provided to the reaction as a rhodium carbonyl cluster which possesses an infrared spectrum which exhibits three intense wavelength bands between about plus and minus 10 cm.sup.116 1 of about 1868 cm.sup.116 1, about 1838 cm.sup..sup.-1, and about 1785 cm.sup..sup.-1 at a pressure between at least about 500 to about 50,000 pounds per square inch absolute and at a temperature of between about 100.degree.C. and about 375.degree.C. sufficient to form such alkane polyol.
- 2. The process of claim 1 wherein said process encompasses the equilibrium:
- 2Rh.sub.6 (CO).sub.15 H.sup.- .sub.H.sbsb.2 Rh.sub.12 (CO).sub.30.sup..sup.-2 CO Rh.sub. 12 (CO).sub. 34.sup. .sup.-2
- 3. The process of claim 1 wherein the rhodium carbonyl cluster is dissolved in an inert diluent.
- 4. The process of claim 1 wherein the temperature of the reaction is between about 150.degree.C. to about 300.degree.C.
- 5. The process of claim 4 wherein the temperature of the reaction is between about 190.degree.C. to about 275.degree.C.
- 6. The process of claim 1 wherein the oxide of carbon is CO and the mol ratio of CO to hydrogen is from about 20:1 to about 1:20.
- 7. The process of claim 6 wherein the reaction is effected continuously in a tubular reactor.
- 8. The process of claim 1 wherein the principal products recovered from the reaction are ethylene glycol and methanol.
- 9. The process of claim 1 wherein the rhodium carbonyl cluster is associated with a counter-ion.
- 10. The process of claim 9 wherein the counter-ion is an organic ligand compound which organic ligand compound coordinates with said rhodium and contains at least one atom which possesses a pair of electrons which form a coordinate body with rhodium, which atom is at least one of Lewis base nitrogen, Lewis base oxygen and mixtures thereof and the remainder of said compound is carbon and hydrogen.
- 11. The process of claim 9 wherein the counter-ion is a metal cation.
- 12. The process of claim 9 wherein the counter-ion is a non-metal cation.
- 13. The process of claim 1 wherein the rhodium carbonyl cluster is determined by infrared spectrum analysis by passage of the composition to be reacted or the composition at reaction conditions to a heated high pressure infrared cell where such analysis is taken.
- 14. The process of claim 1 wherein the alkane polyol is a mixture of ethylene glycol, glycerine and 1,2-propylene glycol.
- 15. The process of claim 1 wherein the alkane polyol is ethylene glycol.
- 16. The process of claim 3 wherein the diluent is a dialkyl ether of alkylene glycols or polyalkylene glycols.
- 17. The process of claim 16 wherein the diluent is the dimethyl ether of tetraethylene glycol.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation-in-part of copending application Ser. No. 371,350, filed June 19, 1973 and now abandoned, which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 219,130 filed Jan. 19, 1972 now U.S. Pat. No. 3,833,634, which in turn is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 210,538, filed Dec. 21, 1971 and now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (8)
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
Martinengo et al., Gazz., 102 (1972) 344-354. |
Continuation in Parts (3)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
371350 |
Jun 1973 |
|
Parent |
219130 |
Jan 1972 |
|
Parent |
210538 |
Dec 1971 |
|