US 7,115,772 B2 · Integrated process for producing carbonylation acetic acid, acetic anhydride, or coproduction of each from a methyl acetate by-product stream

Abstract

The present invention is directed to using methyl acetate from a vinyl acetate-based or a vinyl-or ethylene-alcohol based polymer or copolymer process directly for use in a methanol carbonylation production process to produce acetic acid, acetic anhydride, or a coproduction of each. Methyl acetate is a by-product of commercial polyvinyl-alcohol or alkene vinyl alcohol copolymer-based processes. Generally, this material is processed to recover methanol and acetic acid. Discussed herein is a cost-saving scheme to by-pass the methyl acetate processing at production or plant facilities and utilize the methyl acetate in an integrated methanol carbonylation unit. The scheme discussed eliminates an expensive hydrolysis step often associated with the polymer process.

Claims5

Dependent claims

A process for using a methyl acetate stream in a methanol carbonylation process comprising:

a) producing a vinyl acetate based polymer or copolymer;
b) contacting the vinyl acetate based polymer or copolymer with a base and methanol under conditions sufficient to form a polymer or copolymer of vinyl alcohol and a methyl acetate byproduct stream;
c) directing the methyl acetate byproduct stream to a purification process comprising extractive distillation to form a purified methyl acetate stream;
and,
d) directing the purified methyl acetate stream to a methanol carbonylation process.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

10/324,648Filed 19 Dec 2002 · us provisional application

Priority

11 Jan 2002

Published

US 2003/0135070 A117 Jul 2003

Granted

3 Oct 2006

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

C07C 51/12
By reaction with carbon monoxide: on an oxygen-containing group in organic compounds, e.g. alcohols
C07C 51/56
Preparation of carboxylic acid anhydrides: from organic acids, their salts, their esters or their halides, e.g. by carboxylation
C07C 67/03
Preparation of carboxylic acid esters: by reacting an ester group with a hydroxy group
C07C 67/54
By change in the physical state, e.g. crystallisation: by distillation

Integrated process for producing carbonylation acetic acid, acetic anhydride, or coproduction of each from a methyl acetate by-product stream

Life of this patent

Integrated process for producing carbonylation acetic acid, acetic anhydride, or coproduction of each from a methyl acetate by-product stream

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims5