Optimizing the Process of Ethyl Acetate Production by Ethanol Dehydrogenation by Integrating the Stages of Selective Hydrogenation and Feedstock Removal

Abstract The paper presents the experience in the real-world implementation of the acetaldehyde hydrogenation stage in an industrial process for the technology of ethyl acetate production by ethanol dehydrogenation. It is demonstrated for the first time that the selection of optimal conditions in parallel with acetaldehyde hydrogenation can provide a gain in ethyl acetate, which is confirmed by data from a pilot plant and kinetic modeling results. The studies were carried out on a pilot industrial plant with a capacity of 200 L/h with analytical control by a chromatographic method. The obtained results show that, as compared to with similar studies, it is possible to achieve acetaldehyde hydrogenation and a gain in ethyl acetate at once. The stage of selective hydrogenation for byproducts will facilitate the separation of commercial-quality ethyl acetate from the reaction mixture and increase the product yield by returning the ethanol formed at the selective hydrogenation stage back into the process. This paper also provides practical recommendations on catalyst operating modes.