Process for producing vinyl acetate

A process for producing vinyl acetate from methanol, carbon monoxide and hydrogen which comprises the following five steps:

• (a) methanol is hydrocarbonylated in a hydrocarbonylation zone to produce ethanol, acetaldehyde, methyl acetate and dimethylacetal in the presence of a catalyst consisting essentially of (i) at least one member selected from the group consisting of metals belonging to Group VIII of the Periodic Table and compounds of the metals as a primary component and (ii) at least one halide as a secondary component, said primary component being used in an amount within the range of from 10.sup.-6 to 0.5 moles per liter of the reaction of metal atom and said secondary component being used in an amount within the range of from 10.sub.-5 to 0.005 moles per liter of the reaction medium in terms of halogen atom, and the products are separated in a separation zone;
• (b) methyl acetate is carbonylated in a carbonylation zone to produce acetic anhydride;
• (c) the acetaldehyde and dimethylacetal produced in step (a) and the acetic anhydride produced in step (b) are converted to ethylidene diacetate and methyl acetate in the presence of at least one acid catalyst selected from the group consisting of Bronsted acids and Lewis acids, the molar ratio of said acetic anhydride to said acetaldehyde plus dimethylacetal being within the range of from 5 to 60;
• (d) the ethylidene diacetate produced in step (c) is thermally decomposed at a temperature between 50.degree. and 200.degree. C. to vinyl acetate and acetic acid, and the products are separated in a separation zone;
• and
• (e) the methyl acetate produced and separated in steps (a) or (c) is supplied to the carbonylation step (b).