Process for making formic acid utilizing lower-boiling formate esters

US10570081B2 · 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
• Gerald Wayne Ollis · Kingsport, US
• Randy Lynn Jennings · Big Stone Gap, US
• Stijn Simonne Paul Van de Vyver · Evergem, BE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 24, 2018
• Grant date: Feb 25, 2020
• Expiry date: Jul 24, 2038

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C07C67/36
• WIPO field: Organic fine chemistry
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

Disclosed is a process for recovering formic acid from a formate ester of a C3 to C4 alcohol. Disclosed is also a process for producing formic acid by carbonylating a C3 to C4 alcohol, hydrolyzing the formate ester of the alcohol, and recovering a formic acid product. The alcohol may be dried and returned to the reactor. The process enables a more energy efficient production of formic acid than the carbonylation of methanol to produce methyl formate.