DE2541296

1520475 Recovery of rhodium values UNION CARBIDE CORP 16 Sept 1975 [17 Sept 1974] 37956/75 Heading C1A [Also in Division C2] Rhodium carbonyl complexes present in catalytic quantities in liquid phase homogeneous mixtures with alcohol products and solvent obtained in the high pressure reaction of oxides of carbon and hydrogen may be separated by mixing said liquid phase homogeneous mixture with water and an extraction solvent for said catalyst, said extraction solvent (a) being liquid under the conditions of the extraction, (b) being water immiscible or essentially water-immiscible, (c) being essentially non-reactive with water and the alcohol products, and (d) containing a characteristically electron deficient atom or group which withdraws electrons from a hydrogen atom therein to cause an electron deficiency on the hydrogen atom, whereby an aqueous phase containing the alcohol products and an extraction phase containing essentially all of the rhodium complex are formed, and separating the phases.