Process for making formic acid utilizing higher-boiling formate esters

US10544077B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Eastman Chemical Company · US

Inventors

• Scott Donald Barnicki · Kingsport, US
• Robert Thomas Hembre · Johnson City, US
• Sumit Chakraborty · Johnson City, US
• Vickie Haygood Osborne · Church Hill, US
• Michael Richard Laningham · Erwin, US
• Stijn Simonne Paul Van de Vyver · Evergem, BE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 24, 2018
• Grant date: Jan 28, 2020
• Expiry date: Jul 24, 2038

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C07C51/46
• WIPO field: Organic fine chemistry
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

Disclosed is a process for recovering formic acid from a formate ester that allows for recovery of a formic acid product comprising greater than 75 wt. % formic acid. Disclosed is also a process for producing formic acid by carbonylating a carrier alcohol, hydrolyzing the formate ester of the carrier alcohol, and recovering a formic acid product comprising greater than 70 wt. % formic acid. Discloses are carrier alcohols that enable more favorable hydrolysis equilibriums and/or distillation sequences.