Patent ID: 7534910

Claim:
A fluid bed process for the production of an alkenyl carboxylate comprising reacting an alkene, a carboxylic acid and a molecular oxygen-containing gas in a reaction zone in the presence of a catalyst at an elevated reaction temperature, T, to produce an outlet stream from the reaction zone comprising alkenyl carboxylate and oxygen, wherein during a process upset or shut-down, when the catalyst is contacted with the alkene, at a partial pressure, P, optionally in the presence of the carboxylic acid, and the outlet stream comprises less than 2 vol % oxygen, the partial pressure of the alkene is reduced to at least 50% less than P and/or the reaction temperature is reduced to below 100° C. so as to suppress formation of benzene and/or suppress inhibition of the catalyst, the period of time, Z, during which the catalyst is exposed to the alkene in the presence or absence of the carboxylic acid and at oxygen levels of less than 2 vol % oxygen before the partial pressure of the alkene is reduced to at least 50% less than P and/or the reaction temperature is reduced to below 100° C. being in the range >0 to 12 hours.