Patent ID: 7700801

Claim:
A method of co-producing vinyl acetate and ethyl acetate comprising: (a) reacting ethylene, acetic acid and oxygen to form vinyl acetate and at least a minor amount of ethyl acetate; (b) providing a crude product stream containing the vinyl acetate and ethyl acetate of step (a) and acetic acid to a distillation tower; (c) separating the crude product stream into: (i) a vinyl acetate product stream enriched in vinyl acetate with respect to the crude product stream; (ii) an acid recycle stream enriched in acetic acid with respect to the crude product stream; (iii) a mixed sidestream containing vinyl acetate and ethyl acetate, the mixed sidestream being enriched in ethyl acetate with respect to the vinyl acetate product stream; and (d) hydrogenating vinyl acetate in the mixed sidestream to provide an ethyl acetate product stream, wherein the vinyl acetate in the mixed sidestream is catalytically hydrogenated.