Patent ID: 6211405
Filing Date: 2001-04-03
Classification: C07C

Abstract:
In a process for producing acetic acid by reacting methanol with a carbon monoxide feed in a liquid reaction medium containing a catalyst comprising a rhodium salt and an iridium salt, and comprising water, acetic acid, methyl iodide, and methyl acetate and subsequently recovering acetic acid from the resulting reaction product, the improvement which comprises: maintaining in said reaction medium during the course of said reaction about a finite amount to less than 14 wt % of water together with (a) an effective amount of iodide ion in the range of about 2 to 20 wt % as catalyst stabilizer/co-promoter selected from the group consisting of alkali metal and alkaline earth metal salts, quaternary ammonium, phosphonium iodide salts, (b) about 5 wt % to 30 wt % of methyl iodide, and (c) about 0.5 wt % to 30 wt % of methyl acetate.