925. ------. [HALE, C. H.] (Standard Oil Development Co.). Topped Oxo Alcohol Treatment by Caustic and Air. United States Patent 2,595,785, May 6, 1952; appl. filed Oct. 8, 1949, Serial No. 120,423; 3 claims (Cl. 260-638). Chem. Abs., vol. 46, 1952,

Patent Abstracts

925. ------. [HALE, C. H.] (Standard Oil Development Co.). Topped Oxo Alcohol Treatment by Caustic and Air. United States Patent 2,595,785, May 6, 1952; appl. filed Oct. 8, 1949, Serial No. 120,423; 3 claims (Cl. 260-638). Chem. Abs., vol. 46, 1952, p. 6814.

Crude, H₂O-immiscible alcohols having 6-14 C atoms and produced by the Oxo synthesis contain substantial amounts of impurities in the form of acids, free carbonyls, aldehydes, acetals, and esters, which are detrimental to the odor, color, and plasticizing properties of the products. These impurities can be removed by extracting crude alcohols in the liquid phase with an aqueous caustic solution of 1-25% concentration at temperatures 150º-175º with simultaneous exposure to an O₂-containing gas, as air, at least 1 time before distillation. The treatment should be applied as quickly as possible to the crude alcohol after the hydrogenation stage. The mixture is allowed to stratify into a lower aqueous layer and an upper alcohol layer, which is separated. The alcohol is washed free of caustic and then distilled to give a purified alcohol product relatively free of ester color-forming impurities, including aldehydes and acetals. Treatment can generally be carried out at or near atmospheric pressure for only a short period.