Integrated process for the production of vinyl acetate and/or acetic acid using a fluidized bed

Abstract

Acetic acid and/or vinyl acetate are produced by an integrated process in which a gaseous feedstock comprising ethylene and/or ethane and optionally steam is contacted in a first reaction zone (step (a)) with a molecular oxygen-containing gas in the presence of a catalyst active for the oxidation of ethylene to acetic acid and/or ethane to acetic acid and ethylene to produce a first product stream comprising acetic acid, water and ethylene (either as unreacted ethylene and/or as co-produced ethylene) and optionally also ethane, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and/or nitrogen. At least a portion of the first gaseous product stream comprising at least acetic acid and ethylene and optionally also one or more of water, ethane, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and/or nitrogen is contacted in a second reaction zone (step (b)) in the presence or absence of additional ethylene and/or acetic acid with a molecular oxygen-containing gas in the presence of a catalyst active for the production of vinyl acetate to produce a second product stream comprising vinyl acetate, water, acetic acid and optionally ethylene. The second product stream is separated by distillation (step (c)) into an overhead azeotrope fraction comprising vinyl acetate and water and a base fraction comprising acetic acid. The process then comprises either (i) recovering acetic acid from the base fraction separated in step (c) and optionally recycling the azeotrope fraction separated in step (c) after partial or complete separation of the water therefrom to step (c), or (ii) recovering vinyl acetate from the azeotrope fraction separated in step (c) and optionally recycling the base fraction separated in step (c) to step (b), or (iii) recovering acetic acid from the base fraction separated in step (c) and recovering vinyl acetate from the overhead azeotrope fraction recovered in step (c).