Patent ID: 6521783
Filing Date: 2003-02-18
Classification: C07C,Y02P

Abstract:
A process for converting a feedstock stream comprising at least one of an alcohol and ether and mixtures thereof to a product stream comprising at least one of an ester, acid, acid anhydride and mixtures thereof which comprises (a) feeding at least a portion of a first feedstock stream comprising carbon monoxide and a second feedstock stream comprising an alcohol and/or ether to a carbonylation reaction zone, (b) reacting in said carbonylation reaction zone the first and second feedstock streams in the presence of a catalyst comprising a solid super acid impregnated with a Group 7, 8, 9, 10 and/or 11 metal, a heteropoly acid impregnated with a Group 7, 8, 9, 10 and/or 11 metal, a clay impregnated with a Group 7, 8, 9, 10 and/or 11 metal, a zeolite impregnated with a Group 7, 8, 9, 10 and/or 11 metal or a molecular sieve impregnated with a Group 7, 8, 9, 10 and/or 11 metal, or mixtures thereof, and in the absence of a halide promoter, under conditions of temperature and pressure sufficient to produce a first crude product stream comprising at least one of an ester, acid, acid anhydride, alcohol, ether, water and mixtures thereof, (c) withdrawing said first crude product stream and unreacted carbon monoxide from said carbonylation reaction zone and feeding at least a portion of the withdrawn stream and carbon monoxide to a liquid/gas separation zone, (d) withdrawing from the liquid/gas separation zone an overhead fraction comprising said carbon monoxide and optionally recycling at least a portion of the withdrawn overhead fraction to said carbonylation reaction zone, (e) withdrawing from the liquid/gas separation zone a bottoms fraction comprising said first crude product stream and feeding at least a portion of the withdrawn bottoms fraction to a distillation zone, (f) withdrawing from the distillation zone an overhead fraction comprising an ester and feeding at least a portion of the withdrawn overhead fraction to a hydrolysis reaction zone, (g) reacting in the hydrolysis reaction zone in the presence of an ester hydrolysis catalyst said withdrawn overhead fraction under conditions of temperature and pressure sufficient to produce a second crude product stream comprising at least one of an ester, acid, acid anhydride, alcohol, ether, water and mixtures thereof, (h) withdrawing from the hydrolysis reaction zone said second crude product stream and feeding at least a portion of the withdrawn stream to said distillation zone, (i) optionally withdrawing from the distillation zone a sidedraw fraction comprising an alcohol and/or ether and feeding at least a portion of the withdrawn sidedraw fraction to said carbonylation reaction zone, and (j) withdrawing from the distillation zone a bottoms fraction comprising said product stream.