Heterogeneous Hydroformylation of Alkenes with Syngas

97 Heterogeneous Hydroformylation of Alkenes with Syngas--TDA Research, Inc., 12345 West 52nd Avenue, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033-1916; (303) 940-2301 Dr. Girish Srinivas, Principal Investigator Mr. Michael E. Karpuk, Business Official DOE Grant No. DE-FG03-97ER82497 Amount: $75,000 Coal is an abundant and low-cost resource, primarily used in the generation of electricity. The use of coal as a feedstock for the production of fuels and chemicals is expected to grow as petroleum and natural gas feedstocks become more expensive. Syngas from coal gasification is used in the synthesis of high value and strategic chemicals, the production of which exceeds 7 million tons per year. Alkene hydroformylation is used to produce these chemicals by means of using cobalt and rhodium carbonyl catalysts in the reaction of an alkene with syngas to form aldehydes. However, since the catalysts and the products of the reaction are in the same phase, catalyst recovery can be accomplished only by energy-intensive distillation processes. This problem may be avoided if the reaction is carried out in vapor phase over a solid catalyst. A novel class of catalysts whose activity and selectivity for vapor phase alkene hydroformylation is comparable to those of conventionally used catalysts will be synthesized in Phase I of the project. The catalysts will be characterized and their activity toward alkene hydroformylation and aldehyde selectivity will be investigated. An engineering analysis will be performed to determine the economic and environmental benefits derived from using these novel catalysts. In Phase II a pilot plant will be built and operated to determine the commercial potential of this technology. Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee: The development of an active and highly selective heterogeneous hydroformylation catalyst would provide both economic and environmental advantages to existing homogeneous processes and would eliminate catalyst recovery and losses. The process may also be applicable to methanol carbonylation. _