| US 7,468,455 B2 | ||
| Process and apparatus for improved methods for making vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) | ||
| Terry Mazanec, Solon, Ohio (US); Victor J. Johnston, Houston, Tex. (US); Michael Huckman, League City, Tex. (US); Sean P. Fitzgerald, Columbus, Ohio (US); James A. Foster, League City, Tex. (US); Daniel Lindley, Portland, Tex. (US); Anna Lee Tonkovich, Dublin, Ohio (US); Francis P. Daly, Delaware, Ohio (US); Leslie Wade, Pearland, Tex. (US); Tony Hammock, Bacliff, Tex. (US); Thomas Yuschak, Dublin, Ohio (US); Bin Yang, Columbus, Ohio (US); and Kai Jarosch, Bexley, Ohio (US) | ||
| Assigned to Velocys, Inc., Plain City, Ohio (US); and Celanese International Corporation, Dallas, Tex. (US) | ||
| Filed on Oct. 20, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/256,217. | ||
| Claims priority of provisional application 60/624846, filed on Nov. 03, 2004. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2006/0116528 A1, Jun. 01, 2006 | ||
| Int. Cl. C07C 67/05 (2006.01); C07C 67/00 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 560—243 [560/241] | 85 Claims |
| 1. A method of making vinyl acetate, comprising:
providing a reaction channel comprising a catalyst-containing reaction zone;
passing ethylene, acetic acid and dioxygen into the reaction channel;
wherein the ethylene, acetic acid and dioxygen react to form vinyl acetate monomer;
wherein at least 30% of the ethylene is converted to products;
wherein at least 95% of the ethylene that is converted to products, is converted to vinyl acetate monomer or carbon dioxide;
wherein the ethylene selectivity to carbon dioxide is 10% or less;
wherein at least 60% of the dioxygen is converted to products; and
wherein at least 40% of the acetic acid is converted to products; and
wherein the above-described conversions and selectivities are obtained in a single pass through the reaction channel; and
wherein the reaction zone is adjacent to a heat exchanger; and further wherein the reaction zone has a ratio of heat transfer
surface area to reaction zone volume of 1.6 cm−1 or greater.
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