Methyl iodide removal from acetic acid waste stream

1. A method of removing methyl iodide from an alkane distillation bottoms stream of an acetic acid production process, which comprises contacting the alkane distillation bottoms stream in the liquid phase with a phosphine-functionalized support, and recovering a treated alkane distillation bottoms stream having a reduced methyl iodide content.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the phosphine-functionalized support is a tertiary phosphine-functionalized support.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the tertiary phosphine is an alkyldiarylphosphine.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the Support is an inorganic oxide.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the inorganic oxide is selected from the group consisting of silica, alumina, titania, zirconia, titania-silica, zirconia-silica, alumina-silica, and mixtures thereof.

6. A method which comprises:

(1) reacting methanol and carbon monoxide in the presence of a catalyst and methyl iodide to produce a crude acetic acid effluent;

(2) distilling the crude acetic acid effluent in one or more distillation columns to produce an acetic acid stream and a methyl iodide stream comprising methyl iodide, water, acetic acid, methyl acetate, and hydrocarbon impurities:

(3) decanting the methyl iodide stream to produce an aqueous stream comprising water, acetic acid and methyl acetate and a heavy organic stream comprising methyl iodide, hydrocarbon impurities, acetic acid, and methyl acetate;

(4) distilling the heavy organic stream in an alkane distillation column to produce an overhead stream comprising methyl iodide and an alkane distillation bottoms stream comprising hydrocarbon impurities, acetic acid, methyl acetate, and methyl iodide; and

(5) contacting the alkane distillation bottoms stream in the liquid phase with a phosphine-functionalized support, and recovering a treated alkane distillation bottoms stream having a reduced methyl iodide content,

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the phosphine-functionalized support is a tertiary phosphine-functionalized support.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the tertiary phosphine is an alkyldiarylphosphine,

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the support is an inorganic oxide.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the inorganic oxide is selected from the group consisting of silica, alumina, titania, zirconia, titania-silica, zirconia-silica, alumina-silica, and mixtures thereof

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the phosphine-functionalized support comprises a surface area of from 400 to 1500.

12. The method of claim 6 , wherein the phosphine-functionalized support comprises a surface area of from 400 to 1500.