Hydrogenation of ethanoic acid to produce ethanol

A process for the conversion of synthesis gas to ethanol, wherein the process comprises the following steps:

• 1) introducing synthesis gas and ethanoic acid into an alcohol synthesis unit to produce methanol and ethanol, wherein the methanol is produced from synthesis gas and the ethanol is produced via the hydrogenation of the ethanoic acid feed, and wherein the hydrogenation of the ethanoic acid feed is carried out within the same alcohol synthesis unit and in the presence of the same catalyst(s) that is used to produce the methanol from the synthesis gas,
• 2) separating the methanol from the ethanol of step 1,
• 3) introducing methanol, from step 2, and CO into a carbonylation unit in the presence of a methanol carbonylation catalyst, to produce ethanoic acid,
• 4) feeding ethanoic acid, produced in step 3, into the alcohol synthesis unit of step 1, and
• 5) recovering ethanol from step 2.

A process for the conversion of a carbonaceous feedstock(s) into ethanol, wherein the process comprises the following steps:

• 1) introducing a carbonaceous feedstock into a synthesis gas reactor to produce a synthesis gas,
• 2) introducing synthesis gas, from step 1, and ethanoic acid into an alcohol synthesis unit to produce methanol and ethanol, wherein the methanol is produced from synthesis gas and the ethanol is produced via the hydrogenation of the ethanoic acid feed, and wherein the hydrogenation of the ethanoic acid feed is carried out within the same alcohol synthesis unit and in the presence of the same catalyst(s) that is used to produce the methanol from the synthesis gas,
• 3) separating the methanol from the ethanol of step 2,
• 4) introducing methanol, from step 3, and CO into a carbonylation unit in the presence of a methanol carbonylation catalyst, to produce ethanoic acid,
• 5) feeding ethanoic acid, produced in step 4, into the alcohol synthesis unit of step 2, and
• 6) recovering ethanol from step 3.