Process for preparing vinyl acetate utilizing a catalyst comprising palladium, gold, and any of certain third metals

A process for the production of vinyl acetate by reaction of ethylene, oxygen and acetic acid as reactants comprising contacting said reactants with a catalyst comprising a porous support on the porous surfaces of which is deposited catalytically effective amounts of metallic palladium and gold and a third metal selected from the group consisting of magnesium, calcium, barium, zirconium and cerium, as its oxide or mixture of oxide and metal, said catalyst having been prepared by either method (A) comprising impregnating a porous support with an aqueous solution of water-soluble salts of palladium and said third metal, fixing said palladium and third metal as water-insoluble compounds by reaction with an appropriate alkaline compound, subsequently impregnating the catalyst with a solution of a water-soluble gold salt, fixing the gold in the solution present in the latter impregnation as a water-insoluble compound by reaction with an appropriate alkaline compound, and reducing the fixed palladium and gold to their metallic state and the third metal as its oxide or mixture of oxide and metal;

• or method (B) comprising the steps of impregnating the support with a solution of water-soluble salts of palladium, gold and said third metal, fixing the palladium, gold, and third metal in the latter solution as water-insoluble compounds by means including the step of rotating and/or tumbling the impregnated support while it is immersed in a solution of an appropriate alkaline compound, and reducing the fixed palladium and gold to their metallic state and the third metal to its oxide or mixture of oxide and its metal.