Process for continuously producing an anhydrous methyl acetate/methanol mixture

US5296630A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Hoechst GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Heinz Erpenbach · Cologne, DE
• Klaus Gunther · Voerde, DE
• Gerog Kohl · Hürth, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 2, 1990
• Grant date: Mar 22, 1994
• Expiry date: Mar 2, 2010

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02P20/582
• WIPO field: Organic fine chemistry
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A process for continuously producing an anhydrous methyl acetate/methanol mixture by esterifying acetic acid and methanol in the presence of an acidic esterification catalyst is indicated, which comprises carrying out the esterification in a distillation column having n=20 to 50 distillation trays, PA0 a) the acetic acid being fed together with the catalyst to a distillation tray which is at a distance of 0.5 n to 0.8 n from the still bottom, PA0 b) feeding 50 to 80% by weight of the total methanol to the still bottom and the remaining methanol to a distillation tray which is 2 to 10 trays above the acetic acid feed tray, PA0 c) feeding methanol and acetic acid into the distillation column at a molar ratio of (1.5 to 3):1, PA0 d) setting a reflux ratio of (0.75 to 1.5):1, PA0 e) taking off the anhydrous methyl acetate/methanol mixture at the top of the column and PA0 f) a water/methanol/acetic acid bottom product with the catalyst from the still bottom.