Process for the production of vinyl acetate

US6852877B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• Celanese International Corporation · US

Inventors

• Sabine Zeyss · Königstein, DE
• Uwe Dingerdissen · Seeheim-Jugenheim, DE
• John R. Fritch · Port Aransas, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 19, 2000
• Grant date: Feb 8, 2005
• Expiry date: May 19, 2020

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02P20/52
• WIPO field: Organic fine chemistry
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A process for the production of vinyl acetate comprising contacting in a first reaction zone a gaseous feedstock comprising essentially ethane with a molecular oxygen-containing gas in the presence of a catalyst to produce a first product stream comprising acetic acid; contacting in a second reaction zone a gaseous feedstock comprising essentially ethane with a molecular oxygen-containing gas in the product stream comprising ethylene; contacting in a third reaction one the first gaseous product stream and the second gaseous product stream with a molecular oxygen-containing gas in the presence of a catalyst to produce a fourth product stream comprising vinyl acetate; separating the product stream from step (3) and recovering vinyl acetate from said product stream from step (3).