Vinyl Acetate- Ethylene Vapour Phase Oxidation

Abstract

Fresh and recycle acetic acid is vapourised, and continuously fed to the acetic vapouriser where it is contacted with gaseous ethylene. Pure oxygen is now introduced into the vapourised acetic acid/ethylene feed stream. Vinyl acetate, water and carbon dioxide are formed in the catalytic multitube reactors. The reactors are operated near to 8 bar and l750C. Major yields across the synthesis section, based upon ethylene are about 92 percent vinyl acetate, 7.5 percent carbon dioxide. Reactor effluent then enters a series of separators and a scrubber to recover crude vinyl acetate and acetic acid. Crude vinyl acetate is then fed to the recovery section which consists of five fractionation columns.