Bp Chemicals Limited

Bb Chemicals Limited

Robert William Clarke

Bruce Leo Williams

Timothy Crispin Bristow

Michael James Baker

David Newton

Andrew Richard Lucy

Simon James Kitchen

Mark Stephen Roberts

Michele Fiorentino

Stanley John Becker

Ian All Beattie Reid

Robert Croll

An integrated process for the production of an alkenyl carboxylate, such as vinyl acetate which process comprises the steps of (a) contacting in an oxidation reaction zone a Cto Calkane, such as ethane, a molecular oxygen-containing gas, optionally the corresponding alkene and optionally water, in the presence of a catalyst to produce a stream comprising alkene, carboxylic acid and water; (b) separating at least a portion of the stream from step (a) into a fraction comprising the alkene and a fraction comprising the carboxylic acid and water; (c) contacting in a second reaction zone at least a portion of said alkene fraction produced in step (b), a carboxylic acid and a molecular oxygen-containing gas, in the presence of a catalyst to produce a product stream comprising an alkenyl carboxylate, water and carboxylic acid; (d) separating at least a portion of the product stream from step (c) and at least a portion of the carboxylic acid and water fraction produced in step (b) by azeotropic distillation into an overhead fraction comprising the alkenyl carboxylate and a base fraction comprising the carboxylic acid; (e) recovering the alkenyl carboxylate from the overhead fraction separated in step (d).

Integrated process for the manufacture of alkenyl carboxylates

Process for producing an alkyl carboxylate, comprising contacting in an oxidation reaction zone a Cto Calkane, a molecular oxygen-containing gas, the corresponding alkene and optionally water, in the presence of at least one catalyst active for the oxidation of the alkane to the corresponding alkene and carboxylic acid, to produce a first product stream comprising alkene, unreacted alkane, carboxylic acid and water; separating in a first separation means at least a portion of the product stream produced in the oxidation reaction zone into a gaseous stream comprising alkene and unreacted alkane and a liquid stream comprising carboxylic acid and water; and separating by chemical treatment at least a portion of the gaseous stream obtained from the first separation means into respective streams rich in alkene and alkane; wherein the chemical treatment comprises the steps of: (1) contacting the alkene/alkane gaseous stream with a solution of a metal salt capable of selectively chemically absorbing the alkene to produce a chemically absorbed alkene-rich liquid stream, and (2) recovering an alkene rich stream from the metal salt solution. In a second reaction zone, at least a portion of the alkene rich stream obtained from the second separation means and a corresponding carboxylic acid are contacted, in the presence of at least one catalyst active for the production of alkyl carboxylate, to produce a second product stream comprising alkyl carboxylate.

Process for the production of an alkenyl carboxylate or an alkyl carboxylate

A process and apparatus for contacting (a) at least one gaseous reactant and (b) at least one liquid selected from the group consisting of reactants, coolants and mixtures thereof in the presence of a fluidized bed of catalyst, in which the liquid is introduced into the reactor through at least one inlet located within the fluidization zone and the gaseous reactant is introduced into the reactor through at least one inlet located within the fluidization zone adjacent the support means.

Process and apparatus for fluid bed reactions

In a process for production of vinyl acetate by the reaction of ethylene, acetic acid and oxygen, ethylene is recovered from the gases withdrawn from the reactor and recycled such that the amount of ethylene in the combined feed to the reactor is at least 60 mol %.

Process for the production of vinyl acetate

Process for the production of vinyl acetate in which ethylene, acid and oxygen-containing gas are combined at elevated temperature in the presence of a catalyst material to produce (i) a product mixture comprising vinyl acetate, (ii) a liquid by-product comprising acetic acid and (iii) a gaseous by-product comprising carbon dioxide. The liquid by-product is separated from the product mixture and treated to reduce the water content therein before being recycled to the reactor such that the water entering the reactor comprises less than 6 wt %, (preferably less than 4 wt %, more preferably less than 3 wt %) of the total of acetic acid and water entering the reactor.

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Driffield, United Kingdom

Robert William Clarke