Processes for producing carboxylic acids or alkyl esters

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to gas phase processes for producing carboxylic acids or alkyl esters. In one embodiment, a gas phase process for producing a carboxylic acid or an alkyl ester comprises (a) providing a catalyst support comprising deposits of cobalt thiocyanate on at least a portion of the catalyst support; (b) heating the catalyst support to convert the cobalt thiocyanate on the support to cobalt sulfide to form a supported cobalt sulfide catalyst; and (c) reacting alkene gas, steam or an alkanol gas, and a carbon-containing gas in the presence of the supported cobalt sulfide catalyst in a reactor to form a product stream, wherein the carbon-containing gas comprises carbon monoxide or a mixture of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, wherein when steam is used as a reactant, the product stream comprises a carboxylic acid, and wherein when alkanol gas is used as a reactant, the product stream comprises an alkyl ester.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.