Celanese International Corporation

Philippe Gilles Serp

G Paull Torrence

Philippe J Kalck

Carole Marie Le Berre

Nicolas D Lassauque

Samuel Gautron

Duc Hahn Nguyen

Philippe Joseph Kalck

Duc Hanh Nguyen

Processes for the production of acetic acid by carbonylation of methanol and reactive derivatives thereof in a liquid phase reaction medium, wherein the reaction medium comprises a finite amount of water, a homogeneous catalyst, an alkyl halide promoter, and a catalyst stabilizer/co-promoter comprising an imidazolium cation RRIm+ as an iodide salt, wherein Rand Rare each independently a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl or cycloalkyl, with the proviso that Rand Rare not the same.

Production of acetic acid with enhanced catalyst stability

A carbonylation process for making acetic acid using a metallic co-catalyst composition, effective as a rhodium stabilizer and/or rate promoter, at molar ratios of metal/rhodium of about 0.5 to 40. The process includes reacting methanol with carbon monoxide in the presence of a rhodium-based catalytic metal complex with about 1 to 20 weight percent methyl iodide, less than about 8 weight % water and about 0.5 to about 30 weight percent methyl acetate. The crude acetic acid is flashed and further purified.

Methanol carbonylation process with rhodium catalyst and a metallic co-catalyst selected from transition metals, zinc, beryllium, indium, tin, strontium and barium

A carbonylation process for making acetic acid using a metallic co-catalyst composition, effective as a rhodium stabilizer and/or rate promoter, at molar ratios of metal/rhodium of about 0.5 to 40. The process includes reacting methanol with carbon monoxide in the presence of a rhodium-based catalytic metal complex with about 1 to 20 weight percent methyl iodide, less than about 8 weight % water and about 0.5 to about 30 weight percent methyl acetate. The crude acetic acid is flashed and further purified. This process is stable in the absence of a lithium iodide cocatalyst, or in low concentrations of lithium iodide, with an STY greater than 10 mol/L/hr.

Methanol carbonylation process with rhodium catalyst and a lanthanide metal co-catalyst

A carbonylation process for making acetic acid uses a metallic co-catalyst composition effective as a rhodium stabilizer and rate promoter at molar ratios of metal/rhodium of from about 0.5 to 30. A preferred process includes: (a) reacting methanol with a carbon monoxide feedstock in a rhodium-based catalytic reaction mixture having: (i) a rhodium catalyst metal, (ii) methyl iodide maintained from about 1 to 20 weight percent, (iii) a lithium iodide co-catalyst, (iv) a metallic co-catalyst composition, (v) water maintained from 0.1 weight percent to less than 8 weight percent, (vi) methyl acetate maintained from about 0.5 to about 30 weight percent, and (vii) acetic acid; (b) flashing crude acetic acid from the reaction mixture; and (c) purifying the crude acetic acid. This process achieves stability and a STY greater than 10 mol/L/hr, with substantially less than a theoretically equivalent inorganic iodide content corresponding to the metallic co-catalyst and lithium iodide.

Methanol carbonylation process with rhodium catalyst, an iodide salt and a metallic co-catalyst selected from transition metals, indium, strontium, barium, zinc, tin and heteropoly acids

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Clermont le Fort, France

Philippe Gilles Serp