Patent ID: 8710259
Filing Date: 2014-04-29
Classification: C07C

Abstract:
1. A process for preparing vinyl acetate monomer in a heterogeneously catalyzed, continuous gas phase process by reacting ethylene with acetic acid and oxygen in a reactor, and a) separating the product gas stream comprising essentially ethylene, vinyl acetate monomer, acetic acid, water, carbon dioxide and further inert gases in different distillation processes comprising a preliminary dewatering column, a cycle gas scrubber and an azeotrope column, and b) recycling an ethylene- and CO c) compressing the cycle gas stream in a cycle gas compressor before recycling into the reactor, and d) branching off a substream of the cycle gas on the suction side or the pressure side of the cycle gas compressor and feeding it to a CO e) prior to the CO wherein f) the substream, after the CO