Celanese International Corporation

Claudio Ribeiro

Victor J Johnston

R Jay Warner

David E Lee

Adam Orosco

Emily Duff

Robert Alan Deck

Tianshu Pan

Andrew Shuff

David Lee

A process for recovering ethanol obtained from the hydrogenation of acetic acid. The crude ethanol product is separated in a column to produce a distillate stream comprising acetaldehyde and ethyl acetate and a residue stream comprising ethanol, acetic acid, ethyl acetate and water. The ethanol product is recovered from the residue stream.

Process to recover alcohol with reduced water from overhead of acid column

The present invention is directed to processes for recovering ethanol obtained from the hydrogenation of acetic acid. Acetic acid is hydrogenated in the presence of a catalyst in a hydrogenation reactor to form a crude ethanol product. The crude ethanol product is separated in one or more columns to recover ethanol. In some embodiments, less than 10 wt. % ethanol is recycled to the hydrogenation reactor.

Process to reduce ethanol recycled to hydrogenation reactor

In one embodiment, the invention is to a process for producing multi-carbon alcohols, including butanol and/or hexanol. The process comprises the step of reacting ethanol in a reactor to form a crude product comprising butanol, ethanol, and water. The process further comprises the step of separating at least a portion of the crude product in a first distillation zone to form a first distillate comprising ethanol and a first residue comprising butanol, and water. The process further comprises the step of separating at least a portion of the first residue in a second distillation zone to form a second distillate and a second residue comprising butanol.

Processes for producing multi-carbon alcohols

A process for recovering ethanol obtained from the hydrogenation of acetic acid. The crude ethanol product is separated in a column to produce a distillate stream comprising acetaldehyde and ethyl acetate and a residue stream comprising ethanol, acetic acid and water. Acetal byproduct can be reduced or removed through configurations of hydrolysis secondary reactors. The ethanol product is recovered from the residue stream.

Process to recover alcohol with secondary reactors for hydrolysis of acetal

A process for producing ethanol and, in particular, to a process for reducing the concentration of acetic acid in a crude ethanol product by esterifying unreacted acetic acid with an alcohol.

Process for producing ethanol and reducing acetic acid concentration

A process for recovering ethanol obtained from the hydrogenation of acetic acid. The crude ethanol product is separated in a column to produce a distillate stream comprising acetaldehyde and ethyl acetate and a residue stream comprising ethanol, acetic acid, ethyl acetate and water. Unreacted acetic acid can be reduced or removed through configurations of esterification secondary reactors. The ethanol product is recovered from the residue stream.

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Houston, TX, United States of America

Claudio Ribeiro