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US 11,685,706 B2Granted
Process for continuous acetic acid production
AssigneeCelanese International Corporation
InventorRonald D. Shaver
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process for producing acetic acid that involves operating the flash vessel and first column at the lowest possible pressure for a given production rate is described. Low pressures are achieved by operating on a back pressure established by a vapor discharge from an absorbing system. This reduces the pressure differential to allow steady and efficient acetic acid production.
Claims14
A process for producing acetic acid comprising:
- introducing methanol to a reactor at a first mass flow rate;
- carbonylating the methanol in the reactor in the presence of a metal catalyst, iodide salt, water, and methyl iodide to form a reaction medium comprising acetic acid;
- separating the reaction medium in a flash vessel into a liquid recycle stream and a vapor product stream comprising acetic acid, wherein the reaction medium is withdrawn at a second mass flow rate;
- and
- adjusting the internal pressure of the flash vessel to maintain a mass flow ratio of the second mass flow rate to the first mass flow rate of less than or equal to 10.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.