Patent ID: 8178715

Claim:
A process for the production of vinyl acetate from acetic acid comprising: a. contacting in a first reaction zone a feed stream containing acetic acid and hydrogen at an elevated temperature with a suitable hydrogenating catalyst carried on a suitable catalyst support to form a first gaseous product stream comprising acetaldehyde, wherein said hydrogenating catalyst further comprises a first metal comprising from 0.5 to 1.0 wt. % of palladium and a second metal selected from the group consisting of iron, copper, gold, potassium and combinations thereof; b. enriching said first gaseous product stream with acetaldehyde at least 50 mole percent; c. contacting in a second reaction zone said enriched first gaseous product stream obtained in step (b) at an elevated temperature with acetic anhydride to form a second gaseous product stream of ethylidene diacetate; d. thermally decomposing in a third reaction zone said second gaseous product stream obtained in step (c) with a suitable acid catalyst to form a third gaseous product stream comprising a mixture of vinyl acetate and acetic acid; e. separating the vinyl acetate from said third gaseous product stream.