Bp Chemicals Limited

Robert John Watt

John Glenn Sunley

Bruce Leo Williams

Evert Jan Ditzel

Derrick John Watson

Stephen James Smith

George Ernest Morris

A process for the production of acetic acid by reacting carbon monoxide with methanol and/or a reactive derivative thereof in a liquid reaction composition comprising an iridium carbonylation catalyst, methyl iodide, methyl acetate, water and acetic acid characterised in that there is also present in the reaction composition a monodentate phosphine oxide compound in an amount of up to and including 200 mol per gram atom of iridium.

Process for the production of acetic acid

A process for the production of acetic acid comprising carbonylating with carbon monoxide methanol and/or a reactive derivative thereof in the substantial absence of a metal promoter and/or ionic iodide co-promoter in a carbonylation reactor containing a liquid reaction composition comprising an iridium carbonylation catalyst, methyl iodide co-catalyst, water, acetic acid and methyl acetate wherein there is maintained (i) in the liquid reaction composition:

Iridium catalyzed carbonylation process for the production of acetic acid

A process for the production of acetic acid comprises (1) continuously feeding methanol and/or a reactive derivative thereof and carbon monoxide to a carbonylation reactor containing a liquid reaction composition comprising an iridium carbonylation catalyst, methyl iodide co-catalyst, a finite concentration of water, acetic acid, methyl acetate and, optionally at least one promoter, (2) carbonylating the methanol and/or reactive derivative thereof with the carbon monoxide in the liquid reaction composition to produce acetic acid; and (3) recovering acetic acid from the liquid reaction composition, there being continuously maintained (a) in the liquid reaction composition water at a concentration of no greater than 4.5% by weight, and (b) in the reactor a carbon monoxide partial pressure in the range from greater than 0 to 7.5 bar.

A process for the production of acetic acid by carbonylating with carbon monoxide methanol and/or a reactive derivative thereof in a carbonylation reactor containing a liquid reaction composition comprising an iridium carbonylation catalyst, methyl iodide co-catalyst, a finite concentration of water, acetic acid, methyl acetate and at least one promoter wherein the water concentration is at or below that at which the maximum in the graph of carbonylation rate versus water concentration occurs and there is employed in the liquid reaction composition a co-promoter selected from alkali metal iodides, alkaline earth metal iodides, metal complexes capable of generating I.sup.-, salts capable of generating I.sup.-, and mixtures of two or more thereof.

Iridium-catalyzed carbonylation process for the production of acetic acid

In a process for purifying a carboxylic acid fraction obtained by liquid phase carbonylation of an alkyl alcohol and/or its reactive derivative in which volatile iridium- and/or volatile co-promoter contaminants are converted to involatile forms by contacting with an iodide in the absence of carbon monoxide or at a partial pressure less than that of the carbonylation reaction. The involatile contaminants are then separated from the carboxylic acid.

Process for purifying a carboxylic acid

A process for the production of a carboxylic acid anhydride comprises contacting a reaction composition comprising a carboxylic acid ester, a hydrocarbyl halide and/or a hydrocarbyl ether reactant and a hydrocarbyl halide promoter with carbon monoxide in the presence of a catalyst comprising an insoluble polymer support having pendant quaternised N-base or alkylated N-oxide pyridine groups supporting a rhodium species in which process the rhodium species is prevented from leaching from the polymer support by maintaining throughout the process a finite concentration of carboxylic acid anhydride in the reaction composition.

Growing community of inventors

Beverley, United Kingdom

Robert John Watt