Butyraldehyde
Butyraldehyde, also known as butanal, is an organic compound with the formula CH32CHO. This compound is the aldehyde derivative of butane. It is a colourless flammable liquid with an unpleasant smell. It is miscible with most organic solvents.Production
Butyraldehyde is produced almost exclusively by the hydroformylation of propylene:
Traditionally, hydroformylation was catalyzed by cobalt carbonyl and later rhodium complexes of triphenylphosphine. The dominant technology involves the use of rhodium catalysts derived from the water-soluble ligand Tppts. An aqueous solution of the rhodium catalyst converts the propylene to the aldehyde, which forms a lighter immiscible phase. About 6 billion kilograms are produced annually by hydroformylation. A significant application is its conversion to 2-ethylhexanol for production of plasticizers.
, a major plasticizer.
Butyraldehyde can be produced by the catalytic dehydrogenation of n-butanol. At one time, it was produced industrially by the catalytic hydrogenation of crotonaldehyde, which is derived from acetaldehyde.
Upon prolonged exposure to air, butyraldehyde oxidizes to form butyric acid.
