| 摘要 |
<p>Disclosed is a process for producing acetic acid by reacting methanol with carbon monooxide continuously in the presence of a catalyst of a metal belonging to Group VIII on the periodic table, a salt of an iodide, methyl iodide and water. In the process, the reaction solution is removed continuously and subjected to a distillation step wherein the pressure is lower than that included in the reaction conditions to be separated into a low-boiling component fraction and a high-boiling component fraction containing the metal belonging to Group VIII on the periodic table and the salt of the iodide, and hydrogen is introduced into an region required for returning the separated high-boiling component fraction to the reactor in an amount of 0.1 times by mole larger than that of the metal belonging to Group VIII on the periodic table and is allowed to contact with the high-boiling component fraction at 80°C or higher for at least 6 seconds before the high-boiling fraction returns to the reactor. The process can increase the activity of the catalyst in the reactor without the need of increasing the partial pressure of hydrogen in the reactor to an excess degree, can inhibit a shift reaction to reduce the production of any by-product, and can produce acetic acid in an industrial scale with good efficiency and high productivity rate.</p> |
