Bp P.l.c.

Bp Chemicals Limited

Berian John Daniel

John Glenn Sunley

Benjamin Patrick Gracey

Jon Michael Stewart Deeley

Gareth Gerald Armitage

Russell Alan Taylor

Cong Rong Li

David John Law

Jon Michael Deeley

In processes for the hydrolysis of a methyl acetate with at least one of water and methanol in the presence of at least one Br&#xf8;nsted acid catalyst to produce acetic acid the performance of the catalyst is improved by using a methyl acetate feed in which the total amount of acetaldehyde and 1,1 dimethoxyethane impurities is maintained at 100 ppm wt or less calculated as mass equivalents of acetaldehyde.

Catalytic performance in processes for preparing acetic acid

Process for the hydrolysis of a methyl acetate with at least one of water and methanol in the presence of at least one Br&#xf8;nsted acid catalyst to produce acetic acid. The process employs a methyl acetate feed in which the total amount of acetaldehyde and 1,1 dimethoxyethane impurities is maintained at 100 pm wt or less calculated as mass equivalents of acetaldehyde.

Process for the production of acetic acid and dimethyl ether by contacting methanol and methyl acetate with a catalyst composition at a temperature in the range 140 to 250 &#xb0; C. The catalyst composition contains a zeolite having a 2-dimensional channel system comprising at least one channel which has a 10-membered ring.

Process for producing acetic acid and dimethyl ether using a zeolite catalyst

The present invention relates to an improved process for the production of ethanol from a carbonaceous feedstock; wherein the carbonaceous feedstock is first converted to synthesis gas which is then converted to ethanoic acid, which is then esterified and which is then hydrogenated to produce ethanol.

Process for the production of alcohol from a carbonaceous feedstock

Process for the preparation of alcohol(s) from alkyl ester(s) by bringing hydrogen, carbon monoxide and at least one alkyl ester into contact with a hydrogenation catalyst including copper and manganese in a reaction zone to produce at least one alcohol. The molar ratio of hydrogen to carbon monoxide in the reaction zone is in the range of from 100:1 to 1:10.

Process for hydrogenating alkyl ester(s) in the presence of carbon monoxide

Process for the conversion of ethanoic acid into ethanol by (a) introducing ethanoic acid and Hinto a primary hydrogenation unit in the presence of a precious metal-based catalyst to produce ethanol and ethyl ethanoate and (b) introducing ethyl ethanoate, from step (a), together with Hinto a secondary hydrogenation unit in the presence of a copper-based catalyst to produce ethanol. Ethanol from step (b) is recovered.

Process for homologation of alcohol(s), by 1 introducing alcohol(s) into an etherification unit to produce alkyl ether(s), 2, introducing at least a part of the alkyl ether(s) from step 1, together with CO and optionally H, into a carbonylation unit, in the presence of an acidic homogeneous or heterogeneous carbonylation catalyst, to produce alkyl ester(s), and 3, introducing at least a part of the alkyl ester(s) from step 2, together with H, into a hydrogenation unit, to produce homologated alcohol(s). Optionally, at least a part of the homologated alcohol(s) from step 3 is recycled into the etherification unit of step 1. Alcohol(s) from the hydrogenation unit of step 3 are recovered.

Process for the conversion of alcohol (s) into alcohol (s) with increased carbon-chain

Process for converting synthesis gas to ethanol, including the steps of 1) introducing synthesis gas, together with methyl ethanoate and/or ethyl ethanoate, into an alcohol synthesis unit to produce methanol and ethanol, 2) separating the methanol from the ethanol of step 1, 3) introducing methanol, from step 2, together with CO, into a carbonylation unit in the presence of a methanol carbonylation catalyst, to produce ethanoic acid, and 4) introducing ethanoic acid, from step 3, together with methanol and/or ethanol, into an esterification unit to produce methyl ethanoate and/or ethyl ethanoate. In step 5), methyl ethanoate and/or ethyl ethanoate, produced in step 4, are fed into the alcohol synthesis unit of step 1, and in step 6) ethanol from step 2 is recovered.

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Beverley, United Kingdom

Berian John Daniel