Compositions for carboxylic acid production and methods for making and using same

A system for producing carboxylic acids comprising:

• a reaction subsystem including at least one reactor vessel charged with a liquid reaction media comprising:
• a metal-containing catalyst,
• an alcohol (ROH) forming a corresponding alkyl acetate (AcOR) in situ, an alkyl iodide (RI),
• one or a plurality of hydrogen iodide (HI) solvating additives selected from the group consisting of sulfones (R3SO2R4), oligomers, co-oligomers, polymers and co-polymers including at least one sulfone containing monomer (poly(SO2)), and mixtures thereof,
• an effective amount of added water, and
• an effective amount of added water of less than 2 wt. %;
• a carbon monoxide supply subsystem for supplying carbon monoxide to the at least one reactor vessel, and
• a carboxylic acid purification and recycle subsystem for purifying the carboxylic acid product and recycling recovered alkyl acetate, alcohol, and alkyl iodide to the at least on reactor vessel,
• where the catalyst converts the alcohol into a carboxylic acid having one more carbon atom, the solvating additive increases an ionic character of the hydrogen iodide bond of hydrogen iodide formed during carbonylation reducing the effective amount of added water to a concentration at or below 4 wt. % and improves catalyst stability and where the effective amount of water is sufficient to facilitate the release of carboxylic acid after carbonylation of the alcohol/alkyl acetate and to reduce anhydride formation.

A method for producing carboxylic acids comprising:

• charging a reactor vessel with a liquid reaction media comprising:
• a metal-containing catalyst,
• an alcohol (ROH) forming a corresponding alkyl acetate (AcOR) upon addition to the reaction media,
• an alkyl iodide (RI),
• one or a plurality of hydrogen iodide (HI) solvating additives selected from the group consisting of sulfones (R3SO2R4), oligomers, co-oligomers, polymers and co-polymers including at least one sulfone containing monomer (poly(SO2)), and mixtures thereof,
• an effective amount of added water of less than 2 wt. %, and
• supplying carbon monoxide to the reaction vessel;
• removing the media or a portion thereof;
• separating the low boiling components including the carboxylic acid to form a crude carboxylic acid product and,
• recycling the high boiling components back to the reactor vessel;
• separating the low boiling components from the crude acid product to form a purified carboxylic acid product, and
• returning other low boiling components to the reactor vessel,
• where the catalyst converts the alcohol into a carboxylic acid having one more carbon atom, the solvating additive increases an ionic character of the hydrogen iodide bond of hydrogen iodide formed during carbonylation reducing the effective amount of added water to a concentration at or below 4 wt. % and improves catalyst stability and where the effective amount of water is sufficient to facilitate the release of carboxylic acid after carbonylation of the alcohol/alkyl acetate and to reduce anhydride formation.