Patent attributes
Hydrogenation of methyl acetate to methanol and ethanol by feeding a hydrogenation feed of methyl acetate, water, hydrogen and a carbon oxide into a hydrogenation unit containing a copper-zinc oxide hydrogenation catalyst to produce a hydrogenation product stream of ethanol, methanol, unreacted methyl acetate, water, unreacted hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and ethyl acetate. The hydrogenation unit is operated in the vapor phase at elevated temperature and pressure. The total molar ratio of hydrogen to methyl acetate fed to the hydrogenation unit is 5:1 to 20:1. The total molar ratio of methyl acetate to carbon oxide(s) fed to the hydrogenation unit is 1:2 to 100:1. The hydrogenation product stream is separated into a liquid stream containing ethanol, methanol, unreacted methyl acetate, water and ethyl acetate, and a gaseous stream containing unreacted hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, and a portion of the gaseous stream is recycled to the hydrogenation unit.
