Oxo Alcohols

Published December 1999

"Oxo" products are the generic term for chemicals manufactured from oxo-chemistry; that is, the hydroformylation of olefins by using syngas (H₂/CO).

RCH=CH₂ + CO + H₂ ® RCH₂CH₂CHO

Common catalysts for the hydroformylation of olefins are Rh and Co. Rh is almost exclusively used with P-containing ligands (phosphines or phosphites). Co is used most commonly as the carbonyl (CO ligands). This report deals with a subset of oxo-products�the C₄-C₁₀ alcohols derived from the aldehydes produced by hydroformylation. These alcohols can be produced either by direct hydrogenation or by hydrogenating the dimers formed from aldol condensation of lower aldehydes.

Dominant technologies in the butyraldehyde-derived alcohols field are the Rh-catalyzed technologies of Union Carbide Corporation (UCC)/Kvaerner and Celanese. Exxon's cocatalyzed technology dominates iso-nonyl and iso-decyl alcohol manufacture.

Other PEP Related Reports:

• Oxo Alcohols 21
• Oxo Alcohols 21A
• Oxo Alcohols 21B
• Oxo Alcohols 21C
• Oxo Alcohols 21E