Reduction of acid within column through esterification during the production of alcohols

摘要

Purifying and/or recovery of ethanol from a crude ethanol product obtained from the hydrogenation of acetic acid. Separation and purification processes of crude ethanol mixture are employed to allow recovery of ethanol and remove impurities. In addition, the process involves the esterification of acetic acid in a column used for recovering the ethanol.

主权项

1. A process for producing ethanol comprising:
hydrogenating acetic acid from an acetic acid feedstream in a reactor to produce a crude product stream comprising ethanol and acetic acid; reacting acetic acid and ethanol in a reactive distillation column; withdrawing an overhead stream comprising ethyl acetate and a bottom stream comprising ethanol and water; and recovering ethanol from the bottom stream.