Method for the purification of triorganophosphites by treatment with a basic additive

1. A method for separating one or more triorganophosphite components from a crude phosphite mixture containing acidic hydrolysis products, said method comprising:

contacting said crude phosphite mixture with a basic additive to produce a second mixture comprising a first phase and a second phase, wherein said first phase comprises the basic additive and the acidic hydrolysis products, wherein the acidic hydrolysis products comprise one or more components independently selected from the group consisting of (R 2 O)(R 3 O)POH, (R 1 )(HO)PO(H) and H 3 PO 3 , wherein R 1 , R 2 and R 3 are independently selected from the group consisting of C 1 to C 18 alkyl, C 6 to C 18 aryl and hydroxyaryl, and C 3 to C 18 cycloalkyl and hydroxyalkyl radicals, and wherein R 2 and R 3 can optionally be connected to each other directly by a chemical bond or through an intermediate divalent group R 9 ; and

said second phase comprises the one or more triorganophosphite components, the triorganophosphite components are independently selected from the group consisting of (R 4 O)(R 5 O)P(OR 6 ) and ((R 7 O)(R 8 O)PO) n A, wherein R 4 , R 6 , R 6 , R 7 and R 8 are independently selected from the group consisting of C 1 to C 18 alkyl, C 6 to C 18 aryl and C 3 to C 18 cycloalkyl radicals, wherein each of R 4 , R 5 and R 6 can optionally be connected to one or both of the other two directly by a chemical bond or through an intermediate divalent group R 10 , wherein R 7 and R 8 can optionally be connected to each other directly by a chemical bond or through an intermediate divalent group R 11 , wherein A is an optionally substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic, aromatic or heteroaromatic radical, wherein n is an integer greater than 1; and

wherein R 9 , R 10 , and R 11 are independently selected from the group consisting of —O—, —S—, and —CH(R 12 )—, wherein R 12 is selected from the group consisting of H, C 6 to C 18 aryl, and C 1 to C 18 alkyl.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the basic additive comprises at least one compound selected from the group consisting of NaOH, KOH, Na 2 CO 3 , K 2 CO 3 , Ca(OH) 2 , NH 4 OH, CaCO 3 , a strongly basic anion-exchange resin, and combinations thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the basic additive comprises a strongly basic anion-exchange resin.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said strongly basic anion-exchange resin comprises polymer-bound tetraorgano-ammonium hydroxide groups.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said basic additive and said crude phosphite mixture are contacted at a temperature of from about −10° C. to about 30° C.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said first phase is maintained at or above a pH of about 13.5.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of contacting said crude phosphite mixture with water before contacting the crude phosphite mixture with said basic additive.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

b) separating said first phase from said second phase; and

c) contacting said second phase with the basic additive.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of:

d) contacting the second phase with a brine solution.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising contacting the second phase with a transition metal or a transition metal compound to produce a transition metal-triorganophosphite catalyst or catalyst precursor.