Acetic anhydride and acetate ester co-production

1. A method of co-producing acetic anhydride and an acetate ester comprising:

(a) pyrolizing acetic acid at elevated temperature to produce a first ketene stream, the first ketene stream being a vapor phase stream comprising ketene, acetic acid and water;

(b) cooling the first ketene stream to condense acetic acid and waler therefrom, thereby generating

(i) a weak acid aqueous stream and

(ii) a ketene feed stream;

(c) feeding the ketene feed stream to an acetic anhydride reactor where the ketene is reacted with acetic acid to produce acetic anhydride; and

(d) concurrently with step (c), feeding the weak acid aqueous stream to an esterification reactor wherein acetic acid in the weak acid stream is reacted with an organic alcohol to produce an acetate ester.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the organic alcohol is selected from organic alcohols which form acetate esters which esters and optionally alcohols provide azeotropic mixtures with water.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the organic alcohol is selected from the group consisting of methanols, ethanols, propanols and butanols.

4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the organic alcohol is selected from organic alcohols which

(i) form acetate esters which esters and optionally alcohols provide azeotropic mixtures with water; and

(ii) wherein the azeotropic mixtures have a water content greater than the water generated by reaction of the alcohol with acetic acid.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the organic alcohol is a butanol.

6. Tim method according to claim 1 , wherein the alcohol is selected from n-butanol, s-butanol and i-butanol.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of flashing the weak acid stream prior to feeding it to the esterification reactor, thereby supplying vapor phase acetic acid and steam to the esterification reactor and concurrently removing by-products.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the pyrolysis step is catalyzed by

(i) a phosphate catalyst which is subsequently neutralized with ammonia or

(ii) an ammonium phosphate catalyst.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the catalyst is triethyl phosphate.

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the catalyst is diammonium phosphate.

11. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising the step of removing ammonium salts from the weak acid aqueous stream.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the step of removing ammonium salts from the weak acid stream includes treating the weak acid stream with a mineral acid.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the mineral acid is phosphoric acid.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the weak acid aqueous stream has an acid content of from about 10 to about 90 weight percent.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the weak acid aqueous stream has an acid content of from about 30 to bout 70 weight percent.

16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the weak acid aqueous stream has an acid content of from about 40 to bout 60 weight percent.

17. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of pyrolizing the acetic acid is carried out at a temperature of from about 720° C. to about 775° C.

18. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the ketene is reacted with acetic acid in the presence of ammonia.

19. A method of co-producing acetic anhydride and an acetate ester comprising:

(a) pyrolizing acetic acid at elevated temperature to produce a first ketene stream, the first ketene stream being a vapor phase stream comprising ketene, acetic acid and water;

(b) cooling the first ketene steam to condense acetic acid and water therefrom, thereby generating

(i) a weak acid aqueous steam and

(ii) a ketene feed steam; (c) feeding the ketene feed stream to an acetic anhydride reactor where the ketene is reacted with acetic acid to produce acetic anhydride;

(d) concurrently with step (c), feeding the weak acid aqueous stream to an esterification reactor wherein acetic acid in the weak acid stream is reacted with an organic alcohol to produce an acetate ester in an esterification medium, wherein the organic alcohol forms acetic acid esters which esters and optionally alcohols provide azeotropic mixtures with water; and

(e) azeotropically separating the acetate ester so formed from the esterification medium.

20. A method of co-producing acetic anhydride and en acetate ester comprising:

(a) pyrolizing acetic acid at elevated temperature to produce a first ketene stream, the first ketene stream being a vapor phase stream comprising ketene, acetic acid and water;

(b) cooling the first ketene stream to condense acetic acid and water therefrom, thereby generating

(i) a weak avid aqueous stream and

(ii) a ketene feed stream;

(c) feeding the ketene feed stream to an acetic anhydride reactor where the ketene is reacted with acetic acid to produce acetic anhydride;

(d) concurrently with step (c), feeding the weak acid aqueous stream to an esterification reactor wherein acetic acid in the weak acid stream is reacted with an organic alcohol to produce an acetate ester in an esterification medium, wherein the organic alcohol is selected from organic alcohols which

(i) form acetate esters which esters and optionally alcohols provide azeotropic mixtures with water and

(ii) wherein the azeotropic mixtures have a water content greater than the amount of water generated by reaction of the alcohol with acetic acid; and

(a) azeotropically separating the acetate ester so formed from the esterification medium.