Exxonmobil Chemical Patents Inc.

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Charles Morris Yarbrough

A process is disclosed for forming a vinyl ester from a carboxylic acid and acetylene in the presence of a zinc carboxylate catalyst, wherein a mixture of carboxylic acid and zinc carboxylate catalyst is formed and the water content of the mixture is reduced to between about 0.02 wt. % and about 0.3 wt. %, prior to introduction of the acetylene into the reactor. Optionally, water is introduced into the reactor during the reaction to hydrate any anhydride by-product of the reaction present in the reactor to carboxylic acid reactant. Water is added during the reaction in an amount that is sufficient to convert the anhydride by-product to carboxylic acid reactant, but does not raise the amount of water in the reaction mixture to a level that will reduce the reactivity of the catalyst or reduce the rate of the vinylation reaction.

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