The present disclosure relates to the recovery of an alkoxide catalyst used in a process depolymerizing a polyester to form a diacid or diester and a diol. The present disclosure also relates to the recovery of an alkoxide catalyst used in a process depolymerizing polyethylene terephthalate to form dimethyl terephthalate and mono ethylene glycol.

The present disclosure relates to the recovery of an alkoxide catalyst used in a process depolymerizing a polyester to form a diacid or diester and a diol. The present disclosure also relates to the recovery of an alkoxide catalyst used in a process depolymerizing polyethylene terephthalate to form dimethyl terephthalate and mono ethylene glycol.

Some embodiments of the present invention relate to processes to recover rhodium from a hydroformylation process. In some embodiments, the process to recover rhodium from the hydroformylation process comprises (a) treating a catalyst-containing stream from the hydroformylation process with 2.5 to 20 weight percent, based on the total weight of the stream, of a water-soluble organic amine of the following structure: wherein R.sup.32, R.sup.33, and R.sup.34 are each independently alkyls and ethoxylates, and wherein no more than one of R.sup.32, R.sup.33, and R.sup.34 is alkyl; (b) heating the resulting solution in the presence of syngas to a temperature of at least 65 C. to generate a rhodium-rich phase and a supernatant; and (c) removing the supernatant to recover the rhodium-rich phase.

##STR00001##

A chemical reaction is catalyzed in an organic solvent using a water soluble N-heterocyclic carbene homogeneous catalyst to form a reaction mixture. An aqueous phase in the reaction mixture. A solvent in which the catalyst is insoluble is added to the reaction mixture, causing the catalyst to migrate to the aqueous phase to form a catalyst-laden aqueous phase. The catalyst is extracted from the catalyst-laden aqueous phase.

A separation vessel for separating an effluent stream that comprises a mixture of hydrocarbons and ionic liquid. The separation vessels may be vertically orientated. Ionic liquid is utilized to remove entrained ionic liquid droplets form rising hydrocarbons within the separation zone. The ionic liquid may be provided with a stream of the ionic liquid from the separation vessel. The ionic liquid may be provided as a layer or travel counter-current to the hydrocarbons rising in the separation vessel.

A separation vessel for separating an effluent stream that comprises a mixture of hydrocarbons and ionic liquid. The separation vessels may be vertically orientated. Ionic liquid is utilized to remove entrained ionic liquid droplets form rising hydrocarbons within the separation zone. The ionic liquid may be provided with a stream of the ionic liquid from the separation vessel. The ionic liquid may be provided as a layer or travel counter-current to the hydrocarbons rising in the separation vessel.

Processes for regenerating ionic liquid catalyst in which reaction vessel is operated under conditions sufficient to perform, in the presence of an ionic liquid catalyst, a hydrocarbon conversion reaction and provide a reaction effluent. The reaction effluent is separated into a hydrocarbon phase and a spent ionic liquid catalyst, wherein the spent ionic liquid catalyst includes conjunct polymer. The spent ionic liquid catalyst is contacted with hydrogen in a regeneration zone at conditions sufficient to reduce an amount of conjunct polymer in the spent ionic liquid catalyst to provide a regenerated effluent. The regenerated effluent is separated into a liquid phase comprising regenerated ionic liquid catalyst and a vapor phase comprising hydrogen and hydrogen chloride. The hydrocarbon phase is separated into a plurality of liquid hydrocarbon streams. The vapor phase is isolated from the liquid hydrocarbon streams. Alkylation processes are also disclosed.

Highly active, recoverable and recyclable transition metal-based metathesis catalysts and their organometallic complexes including dendrimeric complexes are disclosed, including a Ru complex bearing a 1,3-dimesityl-4,5-dihydroimidazol-2-ylidene and styrenyl ether ligand. The heterocyclic ligand significantly enhances the catalytic activity, and the styrenyl ether allows for the easy recovery of the Ru complex. Derivatized catalysts capable of being immobilized on substrate surfaces are also disclosed. The present catalysts can be used to catalyze ring-closing metathesis (RCM), ring-opening (ROM) and cross metatheses (CM) reactions, and promote the efficient formation of various trisubstituted olefins at ambient temperature in high yield.

Disclosed herein are methods to rejuvenate a deactivated hydroformylation catalyst solution wherein the solution comprises rhodium, polydentate phosphine ligands, and polydentate phosphine ligand degradation products. In one embodiment, such methods comprise adding a peroxide to the deactivated hydroformylation catalyst solution.

Disclosed herein are methods of treating a hydroformylation catalyst solution wherein the solution comprises rhodium, polyphosphoramidite ligands, and polyphosphoramidite ligand degradation products and wherein the hydroformylation catalyst solution is used to hydroformylate an olefin in an operating hydroformylation unit. In some embodiments, such methods comprise contacting the catalyst solution with a peroxide in the operating hydroformylation unit.