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

Claim 0:
1. 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, acetic acid, oxygen and carbon monoxide;
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, ethylene, oxygen and carbon monoxide;
d. separating at least a portion of the third stream to provide a C2/C2+ hydrocarbons stream and an overhead stream comprising Cl hydrocarbons;
e. separating oxygen from the overhead stream, and sending an oxygen enhanced recycle stream to the oxidative dehydrogenation reactor;
f. providing the third stream to a CO Oxidation Reactor containing a catalyst comprising a group 11 metal and optionally a promoter comprising CeO2, ZrO2 and combinations thereof to convert a least a portion of the carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide and reacting any acetylene in the third stream to produce a fourth stream comprising ethane, ethylene and carbon dioxide; and
g. providing a portion of the fourth 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.