Process for producing methyl formate

Abstract

There are disclosed a process for producing methyl formate by dehydrogenating methanol in liquid phase in the presence of a solid catalyst and a process according thereto wherein a gas (N.sub.2, H.sub.2, CO, etc.) is continuously blown into the liquid phase from outside, and the gas along with the reaction product are continuously withdrawn outside the reaction system from the gaseous phase directly or through a cooler. By virtue of the liquid-phase reaction in the above process, as compared with the conventional gaseous phase reaction, the reaction temperature can be lowered, the reaction gas rich in the objective methyl formate rather than methanol is obtained by continuously withdrawing the resultant methyl formate outside the reaction system and accordingly, a single pass yield higher than that at the thermodynamical equilibrium-value is assured, whereby energy saving is made possible.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.