Cobalt-catalyzed oxidation of C3 to C7 saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons to oxygenated products including acetic acid

Claim 1

In a continuous process for the production of oxygen-containing organic compounds including a substantial proportion of acetic acid by the oxidation of a saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon containing from 3 to 7 carbon atoms or a mixture thereof in a reaction zone with a molecular oxygen-containing gas in the presence of an essentially inert reaction medium and a soluble cobalt catalyst in an amount, calculated as cobalt, within the range from 0.1 to 10% by weight based on the weight of reaction medium, at a temperature in the range from 70° to 150° C and a pressure sufficient to maintain the reactants in the liquid phase, in which a substantially gas-free liquid is withdrawn from the base of said reaction zone and separated into a fraction containing the bulk of said oxygen-containing organic compounds and a fraction consisting of said essentially inert reaction medium with said cobalt catalyst dissolved therein, said latter fraction being recycled to said oxidation zone, the improvement which comprises introducing not less than 5 and not more than 90% of said cobalt catalyst into the reaction zone in the +3 oxidation state.