Catalytic preparation of ethyl acetate

In a process for the preparation of ethyl acetate by vapor phase reaction of ethylene with acetic acid, the improvement which comprises conducting said reaction in the presense of a catalytic amount of a solid, ion-exchange fluoropolymer comprising pendant sulfonic acid moieties, said fluoropolymer comprising recurring structural units selected from the group comprising a unit of structural formula (I):

• ##STR7## a unit of structural formula (II):
• ##STR8## and a unit of structural formula (III):
• ##STR9## wherein, n is an integer from 1 to 5, R is a fluorine atom or a monovalent perfluoroalkyl radical comprising from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, and X is radical selected from the group comprising a radical of structural formula (i):
• --O--CF.sub.2).sub.m
• a radical of structural formula (ii):
• ##STR10## and, a radical of structural formula (iii):
• ##STR11## wherein, m is an integer from 2 to 10, and Y is a fluorine atom or a trifluoromethyl group.