Patent ID: 8877986
Filing Date: 2014-11-04
Classification: C07C

Abstract:
1. A process for producing ethanol, comprising: (a) hydrogenating acetic acid in a reactor in the presence of a catalyst to form a crude ethanol product; (b) separating at least a portion of the crude ethanol product in a first column to yield a first distillate comprising ethyl acetate and a first residue comprising ethanol; (c) hydrolyzing at least a portion of the first distillate in a hydrolysis unit to form a hydrolysis product comprising ethanol and acetic acid; (d) recovering an ethanol side stream from at least a portion of the first residue in a second column, wherein the ethanol side stream comprises 75 to 96 wt. % ethanol, less than 12 wt. % water, less than 1 wt. % acetic acid, and less than 5 wt. % ethyl acetate; and (e) reducing the water content of the ethanol side stream to yield an ethanol product stream with reduced water content.