Patent ID: 6225496
Filing Date: 2001-05-01
Classification: C07C

Abstract:
A process for the production of vinyl acetate, said process comprising:(a) feeding ethylene, acetic acid and an oxygen-containing gas into a reactor, co-joining the ethylene, acetic acid and oxygen-containing gas at elevated temperature in the reactor in the presence of a catalyst material to produce (i) a product mixture comprising vinyl acetate, (ii) a liquid by-product comprising acetic acid and water and (iii) a gaseous by-product comprising carbon dioxide;(b) separating the liquid by-product from the product mixture;(c) treating the liquid by-product to reduce the water content therein; and(d) recycling the treated liquid by-product to the reactor in which the amount of water entering the reactor comprises less than 6 wt %, of the total of acetic acid and water entering the reactor.