Patent ID: 6228226
Filing Date: 2001-05-08
Classification: C07C,Y10S

Abstract:
A process for purifying crude, liquid vinyl acetate feed containing acetic acid, water and ethyl acetate and optionally amounts of other impurities from the vinyl acetate production comprising distilling said crude vinyl acetate to remove vinyl acetate and water as overhead product and acetic acid as bottom product while recovering a side stream of enriched ethyl acetate, condensing the overhead product, effecting phase separation and recirculating some of the vinyl acetate as reflux in the distillation column, the improvement consisting essentially of introducing into the distillation column above the feed point of the crude, liquid vinyl acetate feed 0.1 to 5% by weight of water and 0.1 to 60% by weight of acetic acid, both based on the crude, liquid vinyl acetate feed.