| abstract |
A cyclic process for producing ethylene glycol comprising the steps of: n (1) contacting formaldehyde with a synthesis gas comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the presence of a catalytic amount of hydrogen fluoride under conditions effective to deplete carbon monoxide from the synthesis gas and produce glycolic acid and diglycolic acid; n (2) contacting the acid product of step (1) with ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, or mixtures thereof under conditions effective to produce ethylene glycol glycolate and diglycolate, diethylene glycol glycolate and diglycolate, or mixtures thereof; n (3) removing residual carbon monoxide from the carbon monoxide depleted synthesis gas of step (1) thereby producing a hydrogen rich gas; n (4) contacting the glycolate and diglycolate product of step (2) with the hydrogen-rich gas mixture of step (3) under conditions effective to produce ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, or mixtures thereof; and n (5) recycling from step (4) to step (2) an amount of the glycol product effective to esterify substantially all the acid product present in the reaction zone of step (2). |