Patent ID: 9353034
Filing Date: 2016-05-31
CPC Classification: C07C

Claim Text:
1. A process for producing ethanol, comprising: hydrogenating a feed stream in a reactor in the presence of a catalyst to form a crude ethanol product; separating at least a portion of the crude ethanol product in a first distillation column to yield a first residue comprising acetic acid and a first distillate comprising ethanol, ethyl acetate and water; separating at least a portion of the first distillate in a second distillation column to yield a second residue comprising ethanol and water and a second distillate comprising ethyl acetate; wherein the feed stream is produced by vaporizing an acetic acid stream and the second distillate in a vaporizer; and wherein a residence time of the feed stream between the vaporizer and the reactor is less than 120 seconds and wherein the volumetric ratio of an acetic acid stream to the second distillate fed to the vaporizer is from 1:1 to 4:1.