ETHANOL AND ETHYL ACETATE PRODUCTION USING AN ACETIC ACID AND ACETIC ANHYDRIDE MIXED FEED

摘要

Ethanol production processes using a mixed feed comprising from 20 to 95 wt. % acetic acid, from 5 to 80 wt. % acetic anhydride, and from 0 to 20 wt. % esters selected from the group consisting of methyl acetate, ethyl acetate, or mixtures thereof are disclosed herein. The process comprises contacting the mixed feed with hydrogen in the vapor phase in a reactor in the presence of a catalyst comprising tin, cobalt, platinum, and combinations thereof to form a crude ethanol product having an ethanol to water molar ratio of greater than 1 and separating the crude ethanol product in one or more distillation columns to yield an ethyl acetate stream and an ethanol stream. The process may be integrated with an acetic anhydride production process to obtain further economic savings.

主权项

1. A process for producing ethanol comprising:
a) providing a mixed feed comprising from 20 to 95 wt. % acetic acid, from 5 to 80 wt. % acetic anhydride; and from 0 to 20 wt. % esters selected from the group consisting of methyl acetate, ethyl acetate, or mixtures thereof; b) contacting the mixed feed with hydrogen in the vapor phase in a reactor in the presence of a catalyst having at least one metal selected from the group consisting of tin, cobalt, platinum, and combinations thereof to form a crude ethanol product having an ethanol to water molar ratio of greater than 1; and c) separating the crude ethanol product in one or more distillation columns to yield a first stream comprising ethyl acetate and a second stream comprising ethanol.