Oxidation treatment of a recycle stream in production of acetic acid by methanol carbonylation

A process for the production of acetic acid by the carbonylation of methanol, in a system comprising a reaction section and a purification section, comprising the steps of:

• (a) producing a reaction section product stream comprising acetic acid, acetaldehyde, and water in a reaction section comprising a reactor and a flasher;
• (b) directing at least a portion of the reaction section product stream to a purification section comprising a light ends distillation column to separate the reaction section product stream into component streams comprising a heavy phase stream and a light phase stream wherein the light phase stream is comprised of acetic acid, acetaldehyde and water;
• (c) directing at least a portion of the light phase stream to an oxidation means to oxidize at least a portion of the light phase stream;
• and
• (d) withdrawing at least a portion of the oxidized light phase stream from the oxidizing means and directing the withdrawn portion of the oxidized light phase stream to a portion of the system selected from the group consisting of the reaction section, the purification section, and both the reaction section and the purification section.

A process for the production acetic acid by the carbonylation of methanol, in a system comprising a reaction section and a purification section, comprising the steps of:

• (a) producing a reaction section product stream comprising acetic acid, acetaldehyde, and water in a reaction section comprising a reactor and a flasher;
• (b) directing at least a portion of the reaction section product stream to a purification section comprising a light ends distillation column to separate the reaction section product stream into component streams comprising a heavy phase stream and a light phase stream wherein the heavy phase stream is comprised of acetic acid, acetaldehyde and water;
• (c) directing at least a portion of the heavy phase stream to an oxidation means to oxidize at least a portion of the heavy phase stream;
• and
• (d) withdrawing at least a portion of the oxidized heavy phase stream from the oxidizing means and directing the withdrawn portion of the oxidized heavy phase stream to a portion of the system selected from the group consisting of the reaction section, the purification section, and both the reaction section and the purification section.

A process for the production acetic acid by the carbonylation of methanol, in a system comprising a reaction section and a purification section, comprising the steps of:

• (a) producing a reaction section product stream comprising acetic acid, acetaldehyde, and water in a reaction section comprising a reactor and a flasher;
• (b) directing at least a portion of the reaction section product stream to a purification section comprising a light ends distillation column to separate the reaction section product stream into component streams comprising a heavy phase stream and a light phase stream wherein the heavy phase stream is comprised of acetic acid, acetaldehyde and water;
• (c) directing at least a portion of the heavy phase stream to an extractor means to extract acetaldehyde from the heavy phase stream and forming an aqueous phase stream comprising some acetaldehyde;
• (d) directing and circulating at least a portion of the aqueous phase stream to an oxidizing means to oxidize at least a portion of the aqueous phase stream and forming an oxidized effluent stream;
• (e) circulating at least a portion of the effluent stream between an extractor means and the oxidizing means;
• (f) withdrawing at least a portion of the oxidized aqueous phase stream from the extractor means and directing the withdrawn portion of the oxidized aqueous phase stream to a portion of the system selected from the group consisting of the reaction section, the purification section, and both the reaction section and the purification section.