US 10,647,656 B2 · Ethane oxidative dehydrogenation with co-production of vinyl acetate

Abstract

The invention relates to an integrated process for the production of ethylene and vinyl acetate (VAM), comprising contacting in a first reaction zone a gas stream comprising ethane and optionally ethylene with an oxygen-containing gas stream in the presence of a oxydehydrogenation catalyst under oxidative dehydrogenation conditions to produce a first product stream comprising ethane, ethylene, acetic acid and water, and optionally other compounds, separating said first product stream in a vapor permeation unit into a second stream comprising water and a third stream comprising ethane, ethylene, acetic acid, and optionally other gaseous compounds, contacting in a second reaction zone all or at least a portion of said third stream with a stream comprising concentrated acetic acid and with an oxygen-containing gas stream in the presence of a VAM catalyst, to produce a fourth product stream comprising vinyl acetate, acetic acid, ethane, ethylene, water, carbon dioxide, and optionally other compounds, separating said fourth product stream in a vinyl acetate separation zone into a fifth stream comprising vinylacetate, acetic acid, water and optionally other condensable compounds, and a sixth stream comprising ethylene, ethane, carbon dioxide and optionally other gaseous compounds, and recovering vinyl acetate from said fifth stream. The invention further relates to a reaction system for carrying out the process.

Claims12

Dependent claims

An integrated process for the production of ethylene and vinyl acetate (VAM), comprising

contacting in a first reaction zone a gas stream comprising ethane and optionally ethylene with an oxygen-containing gas stream in the presence of a oxydehydrogenation catalyst under oxidative dehydrogenation conditions to produce a first product stream comprising ethane, ethylene, acetic acid and water, and optionally other compounds,
separating said first product stream in a vapor permeation unit into a second stream comprising water and a third stream comprising ethane, ethylene, acetic acid, and optionally other gaseous compounds,
contacting in a second reaction zone all or at least a portion of said third stream with a stream comprising concentrated acetic acid and with an oxygen-containing gas stream in the presence of a VAM catalyst, to produce a fourth product stream comprising vinyl acetate, acetic acid, ethane, ethylene, water, carbon dioxide, and optionally other compounds,
separating said fourth product stream in a vinyl acetate separation zone into a fifth stream comprising vinylacetate, acetic acid, water and optionally other condensable compounds, and a sixth stream comprising ethylene, ethane, carbon dioxide and optionally other gaseous compounds, and
recovering vinyl acetate from said fifth stream.

2 more elements

A reaction system for the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane and co-production of vinyl acetate, comprising

a first reaction zone, having
an inlet for receiving an ethane-containing feed stream,
an inlet for receiving an oxygen-containing feed stream, and
an outlet for discharging an effluent from the first reaction zone,
a vapor permeation unit, having
an inlet for receiving an effluent from the first reaction zone,
an outlet for discharging a water-depleted effluent stream from the vapor permeation unit, and
an outlet for discharging water from the vinyl acetate separation zone,
a second reaction zone, having
an inlet for receiving the water-depleted effluent stream from the vapor permeation unit,
an inlet for receiving an oxygen-containing feed stream,
an inlet for receiving a concentrated acetic acid-containing feed stream, and
an outlet for discharging an effluent from the second reaction zone,
a vinyl acetate separation zone, having
an inlet for receiving an effluent from the second reaction zone,
optionally an inlet for receiving a washing liquid stream,
an outlet for discharging a vinyl acetate-enriched liquid stream from the vinyl acetate separation zone, and
an outlet for discharging a vinyl acetate-depleted gaseous stream from the vinyl acetate separation zone,
a purification zone, having
an inlet for receiving a vinyl acetate-enriched liquid stream from the vinyl acetate separation zone,
an outlet for discharging a concentrated acetic acid-containing stream from the purification zone, and,
an outlet for discharging a concentrated vinyl acetate-containing stream from the purification zone, and
one or more outlets for discharging further compounds, and
optionally, a carbon dioxide removal zone, having
an inlet for receiving a vinyl acetate-depleted gaseous stream from the vinyl acetate separation zone, and
an outlet for discharging a carbon dioxide-depleted stream from said carbon dioxide removal zone,
and,
optionally, an ethane/ethylene separation unit, having
an inlet for receiving a carbon dioxide-depleted gaseous stream from the carbon dioxide removal zone,
an outlet for discharging an ethylene-enriched stream from said ethane/ethylene separation unit, and
an outlet for discharging an ethane-enriched stream from said ethane/ethylene separation unit.

28 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Ethane oxidative dehydrogenation with co-production of vinyl acetate

Life of this patent

Ethane oxidative dehydrogenation with co-production of vinyl acetate

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims12