Wacker Chemie Ag

Peter Holl

Willibald Dafinger

Johann Wagner

Heribert Westermayer

Mehmet Guenaltay

Wilhelm Kaiser

Jürgen Guba

Günther Rudolf

Martin Schönleben

The invention provides a process for preparing vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) by reacting ethylene with acetic acid and oxygen in a tube bundle reactor in a heterogeneously catalysed, continuous gas phase process, characterized in that a high-performance catalyst with a space-time yield of more than 700 g of VAM/l of catalyst&#xd7;hour is used for catalysis, and in that the tube bundle reactor comprises tubes with a ratio of inner surface area to volume of &#x2267;130 m.

Process and apparatus for preparing vinyl acetate monomer

The invention relates to a method for producing vinyl acetate in a heterogeneously catalyzed, continuous gas-phase process by reacting ethylene with acetic acid and oxygen in a reactor, and a) separating the product gas flow essentially containing ethylene, vinyl acetate, acetic acid, water, carbon dioxide, and other inert gases, and b) feeding a circulating gas flow containing ethylene and COback into the reactor, c) the circulating gas flow being compressed in a circulating gas compressor before being fed back into the reactor, and d) a partial flow of the circulating gas is branched off on the suction side or the pressure side of the circulating gas compressor and is fed to a COscrubbing process, and e) is scrubbed in a water scrubber before the COscrubbing process, characterized in that f) after the COscrubbing process, the partial flow, together with ethylene as a propellant, is fed, by means of a jet compressor, to the circulating gas on the pressure side of the circulating gas compressor and downstream of the point where the partial flow is removed for COscrubbing, and/or g) the bottom product from the water scrubber is fed directly to the pre-dehydration column.

Method for producing vinyl acetate monomer

A method for producing vinyl acetate in a heterogeneously catalyzed, continuous gas phase process by reacting ethylene with acetic acid and oxygen in a reactor and separating the product gas stream substantially comprising ethylene, vinyl acetate, acetic acid, water, carbon dioxide and inert gases.

Method for producing vinyl acetate

A process for preparing unsaturated carboxylic esters includes reaction of alkenes having 2 to 6 carbon atoms with alkanecarboxylic acids having 1 to 6 carbon atoms in the presence of an oxygenous gas and in the presence of a heterogeneous noble metal catalyst by means of a continuous homogeneous gas phase process in a reactor. A gaseous phase (cycle gas) is circulated, and the cycle gas is laden with alkanecarboxylic acid in an acid saturator before entry into the reactor. In a presaturator connected upstream of the acid saturator, the cycle gas is laden with a portion of the amount of alkanecarboxylic acid used for saturation, and then it is transferred to the acid saturator and laden there with the remaining amount of alkanecarboxylic acid.

Process for preparing unsaturated carboxylic esters

The efficiency of vinyl acetate production is increased by scrubbing of off gas followed by COabsorption. A portion of the off gas containing substantial quantities of ethylene is recycled to the process, whereas another portion is employed in another ethylene consuming reaction. Despite not removing non-reactive gases, selectivity and yield based on ethylene are both increased.

Growing community of inventors

Emmerting, Germany

Peter Holl