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Abstract

1,3-Propanediol is prepared in a process which involves reacting ethylene oxide with carbon monoxide and hydrogen in an essentially non-water-miscible solvent in the presence of a non-phosphine-ligated cobalt catalyst and a lipophilic tertiary amine promoter to produce an intermediate product mixture containing 3-hydroxypropanal in an amount less than 15 wt %; extracting the 3-hydroxypropanal from the intermediate product mixture into an aqueous liquid at a temperature less than about 100.degree. C. and separating the aqueous phase containing 3-hydroxypropanal from the organic phase containing cobalt catalyst; hydrogenating the 3-hydroxypropanal in the aqueous phase to 1,3-propanediol; and recovering the 1,3-propanediol. The process enables the production of 1,3-propanediol in high yield and selectivity without the use of a phosphine ligand-modified cobalt catalyst.

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