Patent ID: 11891357
Assignee: NOVA CHEMICALS (INTERNATIONAL) S.A.
Field: Chemical engineering (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC C  B  Y | IPC B  C

Claim 27:
28. A method of converting ethane to ethylene and producing vinyl acetate comprising:
a. providing a first stream comprising ethane and oxygen to an oxidative dehydrogenation reactor;
b. converting at least a portion of the ethane to ethylene and acetic acid in the oxidative dehydrogenation reactor to provide a second stream exiting the oxidative dehydrogenation reactor comprising ethane, ethylene, and acetic acid;
c. separating at least a portion of the acetic acid from the second stream to provide an acetic acid containing stream and a third stream comprising ethane, and ethylene;
d. separating at least a portion of the third stream to form an overhead stream comprising methane and oxygen;
e. recycling an oxygen enhanced stream to the oxidative dehydrogenation reactor; and
f. providing a portion of the third stream and at least a portion of the acetic acid containing stream to a third reactor containing a catalyst comprising a metal selected from the group 10 and group 11 metals and combinations thereof to convert a least a portion of the ethylene and acetic acid to vinyl acetate.