| abstract |
While supplying methanol and carbon monoxide via feed lines 17 and 19 , respectively, to a liquid phase reaction system 3 including a carbonylation catalytic system, and maintaining a substantially constant liquid level of the reaction system, part of the reaction mixture containing the produced acetic acid is drawn out from the reaction system and supplied to a flash distillation column 4 , and the high boiling point component, which contains the carbonylation catalytic system that has been separated by ths flash distillation, is circulated to the reaction system 3 by means of a circulation line 21 . At circulation line 21 , the flow rate is detected by a flow rate sensor F 3 and the temperature is detected by a temperature sensor T 2 , and based on the detection data, a control unit 8 is used to control the temperature of the circulated high boiling point component by means of a temperature regulating unit 6 and thereby to suppress temperature and pressure fluctuations of the above-mentioned reaction system. |