CATALYST SYSTEM AND PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ACETIC ACID BY CATALYTIC REARRANGEMENT OF FORMIC ACID METHYL ESTER

摘要

1. A process for the production of acetic acid by catalytic rearrangement of methyl formate at elevated temperature and elevated pressure in the presence of a metal catalyst, a halogen promoter and carbon monoxide, characterised in that the reaction is carried out in the liquid phase at a temperature of 140 to 300 degrees C and a CO partial pressure of 2 to 250 bar at the reaction temperature by means of a metal catalyst system comprising rhodium, a rhodium salt or a rhodium complex and at least one metal compound of Group VI B in the presence of a halogen promoter but in the absence of ligands of Group V A, the rhodium compound being supplied in an amount of 0.05 to 5 mg atom of rhodium per mole of methyl formate supplied and at an atomic ratio of rhodium : Group VI B metal of 1 : 100 to 10 : 1 and an atomic ratio of rhodium : halogen of 1 : 1000 to 1 : 1.