Patent ID: 8771616
Filing Date: 2014-07-08
Classification: B01D,B01J,B01L,C07C

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for producing acetic acid comprising: (a) a reactor for carbonylating methanol or its reactive derivatives in the presence of a homogeneous Group VIII metal catalyst and methyl iodide promoter to produce a liquid reaction mixture including acetic acid, water, methyl acetate and methyl iodide; (b) a flash vessel adapted to receive a stream of the reaction mixture and flash the reaction mixture at a reduced pressure to produce a crude product vapor stream; and (c) a heat transfer system coupled to the reactor and the flash vessel operative to transfer heat from the reactor to the flash vessel so as to elevate the temperature of the crude product vapor stream such that the crude product vapor stream is maintained at a temperature selected from the group consisting of: greater than 300° F. as measured at the vapor outlet of the flash vessel and less than 90° F. cooler than the temperature of the reaction mixture fed to the flasher; and such that the concentration of acetic acid in the crude product vapor stream is greater than 70% by weight of the crude product vapor stream; wherein the reactor comprises a homogeneous catalyst feed.