Process for the production of ethanol by the liquid phase hydrocarbonylation of methanol

Abstract

A process for the production of a product comprising ethanol which process comprises reacting at elevated temperature and pressure and in the liquid phase methanol with hydrogen and carbon monoxide in the presence of an inert, particulate solid comprising a high surface area form of silica, alumina, silica/alumina or carbon, a methanol soluble catalyst comprising either: (i) cobalt as the sole catalytic metal entity added either: as cobalt carbonyl or bis (triphenylphosphine) iminium tetracarbonylcobaltate or in a form capable of forming a carbonyl and/or carbonyl hydride complex under the prevailing reaction conditions, or (ii) a metal of Group VIII of the Periodic Table excluding iron, palladium and platinum as the sole catalytic metal entity added either as a metal complex in which the ligand is derived from cyclopentadiene or a substituted cyclopentadiene of formula: ##STR1## in which R is independently hydrogen, methyl or ethyl, or in a form capable of forming the complex under the prevailing reaction conditions, and a promoter comprising either an iodide or a bromide.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.