Patent ID: 7390918

Claim:
An integrated process for the production of an alkenyl carboxylate which process comprises the steps of: (a) contacting in an oxidation reaction zone a C 2 to C 4 alkane, a molecular oxygen-containing gas, optionally the corresponding alkene and optionally water, in the presence of at least one catalyst active for the oxidation of the alkane to the corresponding alkene and carboxylic acid, to produce a first product stream comprising alkene, carboxylic acid and water; (b) separating at least a portion of the product stream from step (a) into a fraction comprising the alkene and a fraction comprising the carboxylic acid and water; (c) contacting in a second reaction zone at least a portion of said alkene fraction produced in step (b), a carboxylic acid and a molecular oxygen-containing gas, in the presence of at least one catalyst active for the production of alkenyl carboxylate to produce a second product stream comprising alkenyl carboxylate, water and carboxylic acid; (d) feeding the carboxylic acid and water fraction produced in step (b) and the product stream comprising alkenyl carboxylate, water and carboxylic acid from step (c) to a single distillation means; (e) performing azeotropic distillation in said single distillation means to separate the product stream from step (c) and at least a portion of the carboxylic acid and water fraction produced in step (b) by azeotropic distillation in said single distillation means into an overhead fraction comprising alkenyl carboxylate and a base fraction comprising carboxylic acid; (f) recovering the alkenyl carboxylate from the overhead fraction separated in step (d).