3  5,763,670  4  BRIEF  DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  DRAWING  DEfAILED  DESCRIPITON  The  hydroformylation  processes  of this  invention  may  be  asymmetric  or  non-asymmetric,  the  preferred  processes  being  non-asymmetric,  and  may  be  conducted  in  any  con› tinuous  or  semi-continuous  fashion  and  may  involve  any  catalyst  liquid  and/or  gas  recycle  operation  desired.  Thus  it  should  be  clear  that  the  particular  hydroformylation  process  for  producing  such  aldehydes  from  an  olefinic  unsaturated  compound,  as  well  as the  reaction  conditions  and  ingredients  of  the  hydroformylation  process  are  not  critical  features  of  this  invention.  As  used  herein,  the  term  "hydroformylation"  is  contemplated  to  include,  but  not  limited  to,  all  permissible  asymmetric  and  non-asymmetric  hydroformylation  pro› cesses  which  involve  converting  one  or  more  substituted  or  unsubstituted  olefinic  compounds  or  a  reaction  mixture  comprising  one  or  more  substituted  or  unsubstituted  olefinic  compounds  to  one  or  more  substituted  or  unsubstituted  aldehydes  or  a  reaction  mixture  comprising  one  or  more  substituted  or  unsubstituted  aldehydes.  As  used  herein,  the  term  "reaction  product  fluid"  is  contemplated  to  include,  but  not  limited  to,  a  reaction  mixture  containing  an  amount  of  any  one  or  more  of  the  following:  (a)  a  metal› organopolyphosphite  ligand  complex  catalyst.  (b)  free  orga› nopolyphosphite  ligand,  (c)  one  or  more  phosphorus  acidic  compounds  formed  in  the  reaction,  (d)  aldehyde  product  formed  in  the  reaction,  (e)  unreacted  reactants,  and  (f)  an  organic  solubilizing  agent  for  said  metal› organopolyphosphite  ligand  complex  catalyst  and  said  free  organopolyphosphite  ligand.  The  reaction  product  fluid  encompasses,  but  is  not  limited  to,  (a)  the  reaction  medium  in  the  reaction  zone,  (b)  the  reaction  medium  stream  on  its  way  to  the  separation  zone,  (c)  the  reaction  medium  in  the  This  invention  yet  further  relates  in  part  to  an  improved  hydroformylation  process  for  producing  one  or  more  alde› hydes  which  comprises  (i)  reacting  in  at  least  one  reaction  zone  one  or  more  olefinic  unsaturated  compounds  with  carbon  monoxide  and  hydrogen  in  the  presence  of  a  metal› organopolyphosphite  ligand  complex  catalyst  to  produce  a  reaction  product  fluid  comprising  one  or  more  aldehydes  and  (ii)  separating  in  at  least  one  separation  zone  or  in  said  at  least  one  reaction  zone  the  one  or  more  aldehydes  from  said  reaction  product  fluid,  the  improvement  comprising  prevent› ing  and/or  lessening  hydrolytic  degradation  of  the  organ- This  invention  further  relates  in  part  to  an  improved  hydroformylation  process  for  producing  one  or  more  alde- hydes  which  comprises  (i)  reacting  in  at  least  one  reaction  zone  one  or  more  olefinic  unsaturated  compounds  with  carbon  monoxide  and  hydrogen  in  the  presence  of  a  metal› organopolyphosphite  ligand  complex  catalyst  to  produce  a  reaction  product  fluid  comprising  one  or  more  aldehydes  and  (ii)  separating  in  at  least  one  separation  zone  or  in  said  at  least  one  reaction  zone  the  one  or  more  aldehydes  from  said  reaction  product  fluid.  the  improvement  comprising  prevent› ing  and/or  lessening  hydrolytic  degradation  of  the  organ› opolyphosphite  ligand  and  deactivation  of  the  metal- organopolyphosphite  ligand  complex  catalyst  by  conducting  said  hydroformylation  process  (a)  at a  free  organopolyphos› phite  ligand  concentration  sufficient  to  prevent  and/or  lessen  hydrolytic  degradation  of  the  organopolyphosphite  ligand  and  deactivation  of  $_{the }$metal-organopolyphosphite  ligand  complex  catalyst,  and  (b)  at a  reaction  zone  and/or  separator  zone  residence  time  sufficient  to  prevent  and/or  lessen  hydrolytic  degradation  of  the  organopolyphosphite  ligand  and  deactivation  of  $_{the }$metal-organopolyphosphite  ligand  complex  catalyst;  and  by  treating  in at  least  one  acid  removal  zone  at  least  a  portion  of  said  reaction  product  fluid  derived  from  said  hydroforrnylation  process  and  which  also  contains  phosphorus  acidic  compounds  formed  during  said  process  with  an  acid  removal  substance  sufficient  to  remove  at  least  some  amount  of the  phosphorus  acidic  compounds  from  said  reaction  product  fluid.  FIG.  1 is  a  graphical  representation  of  free  ligand  con› centration  (grams/liter)  versus  average  ligand  usage  (grams/  liter/day)  based  on  the  experimental  data  set  out  in  Table  A  herein.  opolyphosphite  ligand  and  deactivation  of  the  metal› organopolyphosphite  ligand  complex  catalyst  by  conducting  said  hydroforrnylation  process  (a)  at a  free  organopolyphos› phite  ligand  concentration  sufficient  to  prevent  and/or  lessen  hydrolytic  degradation  of  the  organopolyphosphite  ligand  and  deactivation  of  $_{the }$metal-organopolyphosphite  ligand  complex  catalyst,  and  (b)  at a  reaction  zone  and/or  separator  zone  residence  time  sufficient  to  prevent  and/or  lessen  hydrolytic  degradation  of  the  organopolyphosphite  ligand  and  deactivation  of  $_{the }$metal-organopolyphosphite  ligand  complex  catalyst;  and  by  removing  phosphorus  acidic  com› pounds  from  said  reaction  product  fluid  derived  from  said  hydroforrnylation  process  by  (a)  withdrawing  from  said  at  least  one  reaction  zone  or  said  at  least  one  separation  zone  at  least  a  portion  of  a  reaction  product  fluid  derived  from  said  hydroformylation  process  and  which  also  contains  phosphorus  acidic  compounds  formed  during  said  hydro› forrnylation  process,  (b)  treating  in  at  least  one  acid  removal  zone  at  least  a  portion  of  the  withdrawn  reaction  product  fluid  derived  from  said  hydroformylation  process  and  which  also  contains  phosphorus  acidic  compounds  formed  during  said  hydroformylation  process  with  an  acid  removal  sub› stance  sufficient  to  remove  at  least  some  amount  of  the  phosphorus  acidic  compounds  from  said  reaction  product  fluid,  and  (c)  returning  the  treated  reaction  product  fluid  to  said  at  least  one  reaction  zone  or  said  at  least  one  separation  zone.  This  invention  also  relates  in  part  to  a  hydroformylation  process  which  comprises  reacting  one  or  more  olefinic  unsaturated  compounds  with  carbon  monoxide  and  hydro› gen  in  the  presence  of  $_{a }$metal-organopolyphosphite  ligand  complex  catalyst  to  produce  a  reaction  product  fluid  com› prising  one  or  more  aldehydes,  wherein  said  hydroformyla› tion  process  is  conducted  (a)  at a  free  organopolyphosphite  ligand  concentration  sufficient  to  prevent  and/or  lessen  hydrolytic  degradation  of  the  organopolyphosphite  ligand  and  deactivation  of  $_{the }$metal-organopolyphosphite  ligand  complex  catalyst  and  (b)  at a  reaction  zone  and/or  separator  zone  residence  time  sufficient  to  prevent  and/or  lessen  hydrolytic  degradation  of  the  organopolyphosphite  ligand  and  deactivation  of  $_{the }$metal-organopolyphosphite  ligand  complex  catalyst.  This  invention  relates  in  part  to  a  hydrofonnylation  pro› cess  which  comprises  reacting  one  or  more  olefinic  unsat› urated  compounds  with  carbon  monoxide  and  hydrogen  in  the  presence  of  a  metal-organopolyphosphite  ligand  com› plex  catalyst  to  produce  a  reaction  product  fluid  comprising  one  or  more  aldehydes.  wherein  said  hydroformylation  process  is  conducted  at a  free  organopolyphosphite  ligand  concentration  sufficient  to  prevent  and/or  lessen  hydrolytic  degradation  of  the  organopolyphosphite  ligand  and  deacti› vation  of  the  metal-organopolyphosphite  ligand  complex  catalyst.  high  raw  material  efficiencies,  e.g..  high  conversion  of  olefinic  unsaturated  compounds. 