Eastman-kodak Company

Eastman Chemical Company

Jerry A Barron

Carl F Fillers

Eric D Middlemas

Robert Sterling Kline

Charles E Outlaw

Gregory Abbott Wellman, Jr

William T Brown

Brandon Tyler Earls

Hugh M Thompson, Jr

The invention provides processes for purification of streams containing carboxylic acids and carboxylic acid anhydrides without using the amount of high-cost, corrosion resistant alloy required for a distillation column. The invention provides methods in which streams containing carboxylic acids and carboxylic acid anhydrides are subjected to a hydrolysis process by combining them with a stoichiometric excess of water and optionally an added hydrolysis catalyst. The resulting hydrolyzed stream is subsequently separated to produce a stream containing carboxylic acid and water and a carboxylic acid product stream comprising carboxylic acid.

Processes for purification of acid solutions

Disclosed is a process for the removal of iodine, including I.sub.2, I.sup.- and iodine-containing organic compounds, from acetic acid or anhydride wherein an acetyl product stream comprising (i) acetic acid or acetic anhydride and (ii) iodine, one or more iodine-containing compounds or a mixture thereof is subjected to distillation in the presence of a packing material comprising iron, nickel, copper, or an alloy thereof.

Process for the removal of iodine from acetyl compounds

Disclosed is a process for the recovery of acetyl values from an ethylidene diacetate stream obtained from an acetic anhydride production system. The process comprises hydrolyzing ethylidene diacetate in a liquid phase, hydrolysis zone containing a non-volatile, acidic catalyst and maintained under boiling conditions to obtain a mixture of acetaldehyde, acetic acid and water and then oxidizing the mixture in a liquid phase, oxidation zone containing a cobalt oxidation catalyst to obtain a mixture of acetic acid and water. The process optionally includes a means for reducing substantially the concentration of iodine in the EDA used in the process.

Recovery of acetyl values from ethylidene diacetate

Disclosed is an oxidative process for recovering rhodium catalyst values from 'tars' formed during the preparation of acetic anhydride by the rhodium catalyzed carbonylation of a mixture of methyl iodide and methyl acetate and/or dimethyl ether. The disclosed process includes the treatment of a tar/methyl iodide solution, which contains rhodium values normally not extracted by aqueous hydrogen iodide, with a solution of hydrogen peroxide and acetic acid.

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Gray, TN, United States of America

Jerry A Barron