| abstract |
A process is disclosed for producing vinyl acetate from methanol, carbon monoxide and hydrogen which comprises the following five steps: n (a) methanol is hydrocarbonylated in a hydrocarbonylation zone to produce ethanol, acetaldehyde, methyl acetate and dimethylacetal, and the products are separated in a separation zone; n (b) methyl acetate is carbonylated in a carbonylation zone to produce acetic anhydride; n (c) the acetaldehyde and dimethylacetal produced in the step (a) and the acetic anhydride produced in the step (b) are converted to ethylidene diacetate and methyl acetate; (d) the ethylidene diacetate produced in the step (c) is thermally decomposed to vinyl acetate and acetic acid, and the products are separated in a separation zone; and n (e) the methyl acetate produced and separated in the step (a), (c) or (d) is supplied to the carbonylation step (b). |