The present invention provides a technique capable of adjusting the loading positions of gold and palladium in a VAM catalyst by a method of producing a palladium-gold loaded catalyst for vinyl acetate synthesis. The method includes a step of impregnating a spherical porous molded carrier of an inorganic oxide with a mixed aqueous solution containing a palladium precursor as a catalytically active species and a gold precursor as a co-catalyst component, and subsequently impregnating the resultant spherical porous molded carrier with an aqueous alkaline solution to water-insolubilize the palladium precursor and the gold precursor in the spherical porous molded carrier to obtain a palladium-gold immobilized spherical porous molded carrier; and a subsequent step of adjusting the moisture content of the palladium-gold immobilized spherical porous molded carrier.

The present invention relates to production processes for reactive monomer species. The method described herein may be used in a variety of reactive monomer production processes to optimize the use of polymerization inhibitor compounds, which may lead to further advantages such as debottlenecking or elimination of process plant separation unit(s). The method provides for the separation of oligomeric/polymeric species, inhibitor compounds and reactive monomer, optionally in the presence of unreacted raw materials or solvent(s), within the production process by means of membrane filtration, particularly through the use of solvent stable membranes, and in particular by applying organic solvent nanofiltration membranes.

The present invention relates to production processes for reactive monomer species. The method described herein may be used in a variety of reactive monomer production processes to optimize the use of polymerization inhibitor compounds, which may lead to further advantages such as debottlenecking or elimination of process plant separation unit(s). The method provides for the separation of oligomeric/polymeric species, inhibitor compounds and reactive monomer, optionally in the presence of unreacted raw materials or solvent(s), within the production process by means of membrane filtration, particularly through the use of solvent stable membranes, and in particular by applying organic solvent nanofiltration membranes.

The present invention relates to production processes for reactive monomer species. The method described herein may be used in a variety of reactive monomer production processes to optimize the use of polymerization inhibitor compounds, which may lead to further advantages such as debottlenecking or elimination of process plant separation unit(s). The method provides for the separation of oligomeric/polymeric species, inhibitor compounds and reactive monomer, optionally in the presence of unreacted raw materials or solvent(s), within the production process by means of membrane filtration, particularly through the use of solvent stable membranes, and in particular by applying organic solvent nanofiltration membranes.

The invention relates to an integrated process for the production of ethylene and vinyl acetate (VAM), comprising contacting in a first reaction zone a gas stream comprising ethane and optionally ethylene with an oxygen-containing gas stream in the presence of a oxydehydrogenation catalyst under oxidative dehydrogenation conditions to produce a first product stream comprising ethane, ethylene, acetic acid and water, and optionally other compounds, separating said first product stream in a vapor permeation unit into a second stream comprising water and a third stream comprising ethane, ethylene, acetic acid, and optionally other gaseous compounds, contacting in a second reaction zone all or at least a portion of said third stream with a stream comprising concentrated acetic acid and with an oxygen-containing gas stream in the presence of a VAM catalyst, to produce a fourth product stream comprising vinyl acetate, acetic acid, ethane, ethylene, water, carbon dioxide, and optionally other compounds, separating said fourth product stream in a vinyl acetate separation zone into a fifth stream comprising vinylacetate, acetic acid, water and optionally other condensable compounds, and a sixth stream comprising ethylene, ethane, carbon dioxide and optionally other gaseous compounds, and recovering vinyl acetate from said fifth stream. The invention further relates to a reaction system for carrying out the process.

The invention relates to an integrated process for the production of ethylene and vinyl acetate (VAM), comprising contacting in a first reaction zone a gas stream comprising ethane and optionally ethylene with an oxygen-containing gas stream in the presence of a oxydehydrogenation catalyst under oxidative dehydrogenation conditions to produce a first product stream comprising ethane, ethylene, acetic acid and water, and optionally other compounds, separating said first product stream in a vapor permeation unit into a second stream comprising water and a third stream comprising ethane, ethylene, acetic acid, and optionally other gaseous compounds, contacting in a second reaction zone all or at least a portion of said third stream with a stream comprising concentrated acetic acid and with an oxygen-containing gas stream in the presence of a VAM catalyst, to produce a fourth product stream comprising vinyl acetate, acetic acid, ethane, ethylene, water, carbon dioxide, and optionally other compounds, separating said fourth product stream in a vinyl acetate separation zone into a fifth stream comprising vinylacetate, acetic acid, water and optionally other condensable compounds, and a sixth stream comprising ethylene, ethane, carbon dioxide and optionally other gaseous compounds, and recovering vinyl acetate from said fifth stream. The invention further relates to a reaction system for carrying out the process.

A catalyst includes a support, where the support includes an external surface, about 60 wt % to about 99 wt % silica, and about 1.0 wt % to about 5.0 wt % alumina. A catalytic layer is disposed within the support adjacent to the external surface, where the catalytic layer further includes Pd, Au, and potassium acetate (KOAc). In the catalyst, (a) the KOAc is from about 60 kg/m.sup.3 to about 150 kg/m.sup.3 of the catalyst; or (b) the catalytic layer has an average thickness from about 50 m to about 150 m; or (c) both (a) and (b). The catalyst also possesses a Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area of about 130 m.sup.2/g to about 300 m.sup.2/g and a geometric surface area per packed bed volume from about 550 m.sup.2/m.sup.3 to about 1500 m.sup.2/m.sup.3. The catalyst is highly active for the synthesis of vinyl acetate monomer and exhibits a high selectivity for vinyl acetate monomer.

A catalyst includes a support, where the support includes an external surface, about 60 wt % to about 99 wt % silica, and about 1.0 wt % to about 5.0 wt % alumina. A catalytic layer is disposed within the support adjacent to the external surface, where the catalytic layer further includes Pd, Au, and potassium acetate (KOAc). In the catalyst, (a) the KOAc is from about 60 kg/m.sup.3 to about 150 kg/m.sup.3 of the catalyst; or (b) the catalytic layer has an average thickness from about 50 m to about 150 m; or (c) both (a) and (b). The catalyst also possesses a Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area of about 130 m.sup.2/g to about 300 m.sup.2/g and a geometric surface area per packed bed volume from about 550 m.sup.2/m.sup.3 to about 1500 m.sup.2/m.sup.3. The catalyst is highly active for the synthesis of vinyl acetate monomer and exhibits a high selectivity for vinyl acetate monomer.

The present disclosure relates to a method for producing vinyl acetate, comprising a vinyl acetate synthesis process, a vinyl acetate refining process and a separation process of vinyl acetate and ethyl acetate, including an acetic acid evaporator, an oxygen mixer, a vinyl acetate synthesis reactor, a first gas separating tower, a second gas separating tower, a recovered gas compressor, a water washing tower, an absorption tower and a desorption tower, a recycling gas compressor; the vinyl acetate refining process comprising an acetic acid tower, a crude VAC tower, and a fine VAC tower, a rectifying tower, an ethyl acetate tower, a water phase receiving tank, an extracting and rectifying tower and an ethyl acetate phase separator.

The present disclosure relates to a method for producing vinyl acetate, comprising a vinyl acetate synthesis process, a vinyl acetate refining process and a separation process of vinyl acetate and ethyl acetate, including an acetic acid evaporator, an oxygen mixer, a vinyl acetate synthesis reactor, a first gas separating tower, a second gas separating tower, a recovered gas compressor, a water washing tower, an absorption tower and a desorption tower, a recycling gas compressor; the vinyl acetate refining process comprising an acetic acid tower, a crude VAC tower, and a fine VAC tower, a rectifying tower, an ethyl acetate tower, a water phase receiving tank, an extracting and rectifying tower and an ethyl acetate phase separator.