Bp Chemicals Limited

Malcolm J Cunnington

David Colin Sherrington

Sydney Simpson

Gunnar Olason

Matthew More Miller

Witold Franciszek Pacynko

Mohammed Hussain Khan

This invention is a process for the removal of acetaldehyde impurities from ethyl acetate formed by reacting acetic acid with ethylene over a catalyst by refining a crude mixture of ethyl acetate, diethyl ether, acetaldehye and water in a column (C) so as to remove (a) refined ethyl acetate as a base product to be further purified, and (b) light ends mixture comprising diethyl ether and acetaldehyde overhead to be fed to an aldehyde removal column; a purge comprising acetaldehyde is removed at or near the top of the aldehyde removal column. The process is a very important step in the commercial manufacture of ethyl acetate because the presence of acetaldehyde is detrimental to the esterification catalyst.

Purification process for removal of impurities in acetic acid-ethylene reactions

A catalyst composition having high epoxidation activity and resistant to leaching of its metal comprises molybdenum, vanadium, tungsten and/or titanium complexed to an organic or inorganic support through the intermediacy of an imidazole ligand. The catalyst may be used in epoxidation of olefinic compounds.

Catalyst and process for the epoxidation of olefinic compounds

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East Yorkshire, United Kingdom

Malcolm J Cunnington