PROCESS FOR PURIFICATION OF ALKYL ALKANOATE

摘要

A process is described for the recovery of substantially pure alkyl alkanoate, such as ethyl acetate from an impure feedstock. The impure feedstock is contacted with a selective hydrogenation catalyst in the presence of hydrogen in a selective hydrogenation zone maintained under selective hydrogenation conditions effective for selective hydrogenation of impurities containing reactive carbonyl groups thereby to hydrogenate said impurities to the corresponding alcohols. After recovery from the selective hydrogenation zone of a selectively hydrogenated reaction product mixture comprising said alkyl alkanoate and said corresponding alcohols, this is distilled in one or more distillation zones so as to produce substantially pure alkyl alkanoate therefrom which is recovered.