SELECTIVE PRODUCTION OF ETHANOL

摘要

PURPOSE:To obtain the titled compound useful as an intermediate raw material of various chemical substance or solvent, directly and economically in high selectivity, suppressing the by-production of methanol, by carrying out the liquid- phase catalytic reaction of CO with H2 under high temperature and pressure condition in the presence of a specific catalyst and acetic acid. CONSTITUTION:Ethanol is produced selectively by the liquid-phase catalytic reaction of CO with H2 at a molar ratio of 1:10-10:1 preferably in an aprotic liquid solvent at 160-300 deg.C and 150-800kg/cm<2> pressure in the presence of (A) a catalyst composed mainly of (i) a ruthenium compound such as triruthenium dodecacarbonyl, (ii) a cobalt compound such as dicobalt octacarbonyl and (iii) a halogen compound such as bis(triphenylphosphine) iminium chloride and (B) acetic acid and/or an acetic acid ester. EFFECT:The net production of acetic acid can be decreased to increase the relative amount of produced ethanol. The technology of 1C chemistry can be improved to the industrially utilizable level.