Union Carbide Corporation

Ben W Kiff

David James Schreck

John E Logsdon

Ethanol is produced from acetic acid by esterifying the acetic acid with an olefin having at least 4 carbon atoms, hydrogenating the ester obtained into ethanol and a higher alcohol having at least 4 carbon atoms, removing the ethanol, dehydrating the higher alcohol back to the original olefin and recycling the olefin to esterify the acetic acid.

Production of ethanol from acetic acid

The continuous cobalt catalyzed liquid-phase oxidation of butane to acetic acid with oxygen has been improved by limiting the amount of iron, water and succinic acid present and maintaining a minimum of about 0.1% of cobalt acetate catalyst in the reaction medium.

Growing community of inventors

So. Charleston, WV, United States of America

Ben W Kiff