Patent ID: 8895786

Claim:
A process for producing ethanol, the process comprising the steps of: (a) hydrogenating acetic acid in a reactor in the presence of a catalyst to form a crude ethanol product; (b) separating at least a portion of the crude ethanol product in a first distillation column to yield a first distillate comprising ethanol, at least 0.1 wt. % water, and ethyl acetate and a first residue comprising acetic acid; (c) hydrolyzing a portion of the ethyl acetate in the first distillate to form ethanol and acetic acid; and (d) separating at least a portion of the hydrolyzed first distillate in a second distillation column to yield a second distillate comprising ethyl acetate and a side stream comprising from 10 wt. % to 99.5 wt. % ethanol, less than 1.0 wt. % ethyl acetate, and less than 1.0 wt. % acetic acid, and a second residue comprising acetic acid; wherein the first distillate, prior to hydrolysis, has a water to ethyl acetate molar ratio of greater than 3:1.