PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF AN OXYGENEATED HYDROCARBON PRODUCT CONTAINING ETHANOL

摘要

Oxygenated hydrocarbons such as ethanol, methanol and acetic acid are produced by contacting synthesis gas (carbon monoxide and hydrogen) with a supported mixture of a rhodium component and a zirconium component optionally containing one or more additional components selected from the metals iron, manganese, molybdenum, tungsten, ruthenium, chromium, uranium and thorium. The preferred support is silica. The reaction conditions are typically a temperature in the range from 150 to 450.degree.C, a pressure in the range from 1 to 700 bars and a gas hourly space velocity greater than 103 per hour.