Process for preparing carbonyl compounds from olefines

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PREPARING AN UNSATURATED ALDEHYDE, COMPRISING TREATING AN OLEFIN HAVING FROM THREE TO SIX CARBON ATOMS, IN GAS PHASE, WITH MOLECULAR OXYGEN, THE OXYGEN CONCENTRATION BEING BETWEEN 10% AND 20% BY VOLUME, BY PASSAGE AT SUPERATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE RANGING UP TO 40 ATMOSPHERES, AT 250 TO 550*C., THROUGH A NARROW REACTION SPACE ELONGATED IN THE DIRECTION OF PASSAGE, THE WALL OF WHICH SPACE IS ELEMENTAL METALLIC COPPER, AND REMOVING HEAT OF REACTION BY PASSING HEAT ABSORBING LIQUID IN CONTACT WITH THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE METAL WALL, THE INNER COPPER SURFACE OF THE WALL FURNISHING THE CATALYST FOR THE REACTION, SAID LIQUID BOILING UNDER HEAT OF SAID REACTION, SAID REACTION BEING OTHERWISE FREE OF SOLID CATALYST AND CATALYST CARRIER BODIES, THE BOILING LIQUID EXTRACTING HEAT OF REACTION FROM SAID REACTION SPACE THROUGH SAID WALL, THE HEAT OF REACTION BEING TRANSMITTED DIRECTLY FROM THE INNER WALL THROUGH THE COPPER TO THE BOILING LIQUID.