Patent ID: 8440855

Claim:
An integrated process for the production of acetic acid, ethylene and vinyl acetate monomer comprising the steps of: (a) evaporating at least part of an ethanol feed stock to obtain an evaporated ethanol feed stock; (b) producing in a first reaction zone a first product stream comprising acetic acid by oxidative or partly oxidative dehydrogenation of ethanol feed stock or the evaporated ethanol feed stock from step (a); (c) producing in a second reaction zone a second product stream comprising ethylene from ethanol feed stock or the evaporated ethanol feed stock from step (a); (d) reacting in a third reaction zone an acetic acid reaction stream containing at least a portion of the acetic acid from the first reaction zone with an ethylene reaction stream containing at least a portion of the ethylene product from the second reaction zone and with oxygen to a third product stream comprising vinyl acetate monomer; (e) passing at least a portion of the third product stream to a distillation section and isolating at least a portion of the vinyl acetate monomer; (f) supplying at least part of reaction heat from the third reaction zone to provide heat for evaporating at least part of the ethanol feed stock in step (a); and (g) supplying at least part of reaction heat from the first reaction zone to provide heat for producing the second product stream in the second reaction zone in step (c) and for distilling of the third product stream in the distillation section in step (e).