PROCESS FOR PRODUCING ETHANOL BY HYDROGENATION OF A PURIFIED ACETIC ACID FEED STREAM

摘要

In one embodiment, the invention is to a process for producing ethanol, comprising the step of providing from a distillation column in a carbonylation process a purified acetic acid stream comprising up to 25 wt.% water. The process further comprises the step of hydrogenating acetic acid of the purified acetic acid stream in the presence of a catalyst and under conditions effective to form a crude ethanol product comprising ethanol and water. Ethanol is recovered from the crude ethanol product.